Bangladesh spin bowling coach Mushtaq Ahmed believes the team’s batters are too focused on Rashid Khan’s name rather than his deliveries. The Afghan leg-spinner took five wickets for just 17 runs to lead Afghanistan to an 81-run win in the second ODI on Saturday, sealing the series.
“I think they are playing Rashid, not the ball,” Mushtaq said after the match. “He is not a big spinner of the ball, but he is very experienced and consistent. He is a wicket-taker. We have to play the ball, not the bowler. We must improve quickly.”
He added that good temperament can help any batter face top bowlers in international cricket. “Rashid has been very successful for many years, but as a Bangladeshi batting unit, we should know how to play the ball, not the bowler,” he said.
Mushtaq also pointed out that Bangladesh’s middle order needs to be more proactive against spin. The team has averaged only 18.70 in the middle overs this series, compared to Afghanistan’s 29.37.
“You must have a better technique against spinners in the middle overs,” he said. “You need to take singles on good balls. If you can rotate the strike, it will put more pressure on the bowler than on yourself.”
He admitted that Bangladesh’s batting in ODIs has declined. The side has averaged just 21.86 in the middle overs this year, their lowest since 2007, while they averaged 35.10 in the previous two years.
“I think the ground reality is that we have to sort out our batting,” Mushtaq said. “They are good players, but against spinners like Rashid, who are mature and experienced, we must be proactive. If we can start playing spin well in the middle overs, Bangladesh can challenge any team.”
Mushtaq also noted that Bangladesh’s success in T20Is has not carried over to the 50-over format.
“I think there is an issue in batting when moving from T20s to ODIs,” he said. “Everything else is working well, our fielding, fitness, spin, and pace bowling. If we can fix our batting in ODIs, it will be great for us. It is very important that we improve a lot in this area.”
