BCB
What lies ahead for Bangladesh spinners under Mushtaq Ahmed's guidance
Spin bowlers of Bangladesh cricket team are ready to step into the legendary Pakistan leg-spinner Mushtaq Ahmed era after 2 years of learning from another great coach Rangana Herath. Former Pakistani cricketer Mushtaq Ahmed has been appointed as the spin bowling coach of Bangladesh National Cricket Team by BCB till the ICC T20 World Cup tournamnet this year. As of now, Mushtaq Ahmed will have three assignments primarily during his tenure. First will be the upcoming series against Zimbabwe and the USA. The next will be the T20 World Cup 2024.
Bowling Profile of Pakistani Cricketer Mushtaq Ahmed
Table: An Overview of Mushtaq Ahmed's International Cricket Career As a Bowler
Format
Matches
Innings
Wickets
Best Bowling Figures (innings)
Best Bowling Figures (Match)
Average
Economy
Strike Rate
5-Wicket Haul
10-Wicket Haul
Tests
52
89
185
56-7
106-10
32.97
2.92
67.7
10
3
ODI
144
142
161
36-5
36-5
33.29
4.26
46.8
1
0
.
Mushtaq Ahmed made his debut in the international arena in the ODI series against Sri Lanka on May 23, 1989. He picked up 2 wickets for 33 runs in that game. Later in 19th January 1990, he made his test debut in Adelaide against Australia.
His final ODI game was at Lahore against South Africa on October 3, 2003. He put curtains on his test career on October 28, 2003. His last wicket was Herschelle Gibbs.
Mushtaq Ahmed was a crucial part of Pakistan’s only World Cup triumph in 1992. He was the joint 2nd highest wicket-taker, along with Sir Ian Botham, and only behind Wasim Akram, grabbing 16 wickets in the tournament. He dismissed English opener and skipper Graham Gooch and picked up three wickets in the final.
He also featured for three different county teams. After retiring from international cricket, he delivered his most successful spell in county cricket against Sussex. Moreover, he became the highest wicket-taker in county cricket for five seasons in a row. He also picked 100 wickets in the 2003 season with Sussex. Overall, his first-class career is decorated with 1407 wickets from 309 matches.
Read more: Mushtaq Ahmed arrives in Dhaka to take up assignment with Tigers
Mushtaq Ahmed's Journey As a Bowling Coach
Table: An Overview of Pakistani Cricketer Mushtaq Ahmed's Career as a Coach
Team
Tenure
Role
England National Cricket Team
2008-2014
Spin-Bowling Coach
Pakistan National Cricket Team
2014-2016
Bowling Consultant
West Indies National Cricket team
2018-2019
Spin-Bowling Coach
Pakistan National Cricket Team
2020-2022
Spin-Bowling Coach
.
Mushtaq Ahmed had his longest coaching spell with the England national cricket team right after his retirement as a player. His notable success in this time might be the incorporation of Graeme Swann who is the 2nd highest wicket-taker as a spinner for England in test cricket.
During his tenure as a bowling consultant for Pakistan, players like Imad Wasim and Yasir Shah made their debut in Pakistan Cricket. Yasir Shah is currently the 5th highest-wicket taker and the 2nd highest-wicket-taker as a spinner for Pakistan in test cricket.
His tenure at Windies was prior to the 2019 World Cup. Keemo Paul debuted during his time. However, over-reliance on pacers in that campaign didn’t leave much room for spinners to shine.
Read more: BCB appoints former Pakistan great Mushtaq Ahmed as spin-bowling coach
Recent Performances of Bangladesh Team in Spin Bowling
Mushtaq Ahmed is currently appointed for a brief period of time. Therefore, long-term expectations are out of the cards. However, he can still offer plenty to this team.
Being one of the legendary leg-spinners of the game, the leg-spinners in our team, especially Rishad Hossain, can benefit from his vast experience and knowledge if Rishad can utilize Mushtaq’s guidance properly. Also, other spinners like Mahedi, Mehedi, and Shakib can benefit from him.
More so, Mushtaq can help Shakib hone his traditional and Arm balls particularly. Another interesting factor would be the condition. The T20 World Cup is going to take place in the USA. During his tenure as Windies spin bowling coach, they stayed in the USA for a few matches. So, utilising that experience, Mushtaq Ahmed can help the Bangladeshi spinners to adapt better in that condition.
Read more: BCB Unveils Preliminary Squad for Zimbabwe T20Is, Shakib and Mustafizur Absent
What to Expect from Mushtaq Ahmed as the Spin-bowling Coach of Bangladesh
Traditionally, Bangladesh relied on its spinners for success. However, in the recent years, Bangladesh Cricket took the limelight away from spinners. Even though spinners played a big role in winning the test match against New Zealand in early December 2023 at Sylhet, the recent series against New Zealand raises some genuine concerns in this department.
Spinners took only 52 of the last 100 wickets in tests for Bangladesh. In the Test format Bangladesh often plays with more spinners rather than pacers. In ODI, spinners took only 7 of the last 47 wickets. And, only 7 of the last 31 wickets in T20Is were picked by the Bangladeshi spinners.
If we look back at the World Cup 2023, Bangladesh spinners took only 25 of the 54 wickets while bowling for 189 overs. Their average was 45.36, Strike rate was 43.6 with an economy of 2.77. Bangladesh expects more from their spinners.
Read more: Bangladesh vs Zimbabwe T20 Series 2024: Fixtures, Head-To-Head Records
Final Verdict
Mushtaq Ahmed has a vast ground of knowledge both as a cricketer and as a player. He has the right profile and experience to guide Bangladesh spinners forward. It is now up to the spinners to turn his guidelines into fruition. Only the future will decide how successful Mushtaq Ahmed is as the spin-bowling coach of the Bangladesh team.
Bangladesh-Sri Lanka T20I series can be watched from anywhere in the world
Just a few days after the conclusion of the Bangladesh Premier League (BPL) 10th season, Bangladesh cricketers are back on the field as they are set to face Sri Lanka in a three-match T20I series starting on Monday (March 04, 2024). Fans around the globe can tune in to watch this series promising exciting cricket.
The Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) has announced that spectators in Bangladesh can enjoy live coverage of the series on two TV channels — GTV and T-Sports — and can also stream the action on the go via the Rabbithole and T-Sports apps.
Sri Lankan fans can catch the series live on Siyatha TV, with streaming options available through Dialog TV. In India, viewers can follow the action on the FanCode OTT platform.
Bangladesh-Sri Lanka T20I series kicks off Monday
For fans in 27 countries across the Middle East and North Africa, the series will be broadcast on STARZPLAY, eLife, and Cricbuzz, with Cricbuzz also available in 10 countries in Southeast Asia.
Astro will broadcast the series in Malaysia, while Willow will cover it in 23 countries in North America.
For fans in other parts of the world, the series will be available on the Rabbithole and T-Sports YouTube channels, ensuring global access to the matches.
The first match of the T20I series is scheduled for Monday, March 4, with the remaining two matches taking place on March 6 and 9 in Sylhet. All matches will commence at 6 pm (Bangladesh time). Following the T20I series, both teams will head to Chattogram, Bangladesh’s main port city, for a three-match ODI series.
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BCB announces squad for Sri Lanka T20Is and ODIs
The Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) on Tuesday announced the Bangladesh squad for the upcoming three-match T20I and the first two ODIs against Sri Lanka next month.
Right-arm spinner Aliss Al Islam earned his maiden call-up to the national T20I squad. Additionally, veteran all-rounder Mahmudullah Riyad returns to the T20I lineup based on his recent strong performances.
Aliss’ inclusion was a surprising move, as he only scalped 19 wickets in 24 T20s. Overlooking spinners like Mehdiy Hasan Miraz or Tanvir Islam for T20Is was also a head-spinning decision.
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Afif Hossain and Shamim Hossain were also overlooked from the T20I side. They were part of the team in the last T20I series against New Zealand.
The Sri Lanka series begins on March 4th with the first T20I at Sylhet International Stadium. The remaining two T20I matches will take place at the same venue on March 6th and 9th. The first two matches will start at 6 pm, while the third will begin at 3 pm.
The series then shifts to Chattogram for the ODIs, with matches on March 13th, 15th, and 18th. The first two ODIs will start at 2:30 pm, and the third at 10 am.
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Following the white-ball matches, the teams will compete in a two-match test series. The first test will begin on March 22nd in Chattogram, and the second test will commence on March 30th in Sylhet.
T20I squad:
Najmul Hossain Shanto (Captain), Litton Das, Anamul Haque Bijoy, Mohammad Naim, Tawhid Hridoy, Soumya Sarkar, Mahedi Hasan, Mahmullah Riyad, Taijul Islam, Rishad Hossain, Taskin Ahmed, Mustafizur Rahman, Shoriful Islam, Tanzim Hasan Sakib, and Aliss Al Islam
Shanto named Bangladesh captain in all formats
ODI squad (for the first and second matches):
Najmul Hossain Shanto (Captain), Anamul Haque Bijoy, Soumya Sarkar, Tanzid Hasan Tamim, Litton Das, Mushfiqur Rahim, Tawhid Hridoy, Mahmudullah Riyad, Mehidy Hassan Miraz, Taijul Islam, Rishad Hossain, Taskin Ahmed, Shoriful Islam, Tanzim Hasan Sakib, and Mustafizur Rahman.
BCB Special Committee meets with Shakib, Tamim to evaluate World Cup performance
The special committee, constituted by the Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) in late November last year, convened with Shakib Al Hasan and Tamim Iqbal to analyze the disappointing performance of the Bangladesh team in the World Cup. However, the committee has not disclosed the outcome of these discussions.
Enayat Hossain Siraj, the convenor of the committee, indicated that the media department of BCB would host a press conference to unveil the results.
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“These matters are not something that can be divulged to the media at this moment,” Enayet Hossain stated during a media interaction in Sylhet, where Shakib and Tamim are busy for their teams in the Bangladesh Premier League (BPL).
“Because this has been handled very confidentially. When the time is right, the information will be shared collectively, and the public will also be informed. We have held separate discussions with both Shakib and Tamim,” he added.
BCB to Discuss Bangladesh’s World Cup Disappointment with Shakib
It is understood that the BCB president is set to travel to Indonesia for a meeting of the Asian Cricket Council, with his return expected in early February.
The BCB is anticipated to conduct a board meeting at that time, during which the findings of the special committee regarding Bangladesh's performance in the 2023 World Cup will be disclosed.
Enayet Hossain confirmed that the committee he leads has completed its work, and they will submit their findings to the board. This committee has two more members— Akram Khan and Mahbub Anam.
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In the previous World Cup, Bangladesh secured victory in only two out of the nine matches they played. Shakib, who captained the team during the tournament, labeled it as the worst World Cup ever for the Bangladesh team.
BCB to Discuss Bangladesh’s World Cup Disappointment with Shakib
Akram Khan, a member of the committee formed by the Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) to analyze the Bangladesh team's performance in the 2023 World Cup, said they will now engage in discussions with Shakib Al Hasan.
Bangladesh endured a dismal World Cup in India, losing seven out of nine matches. Shakib captained the team in this tournament, labeling it as Bangladesh's worst World Cup performance.
After more than two weeks since the Bangladesh team returned home from India, the BCB established a committee to review the World Cup performance and identify the reasons behind the team's below-par performance.
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“We have completed 90% of our work around a month ago,” Akram Khan told the media on Sunday. “We had a tour in New Zealand, and now BPL is underway. We are yet to sit with 2-3 individuals, including Shakib. We will go there (Sylhet) tomorrow.”
The BCB announced the three-member ‘Special Committee’ on November 29 last year, with Enayet Hossain Siraj appointed as the convener and Akram and Mahbubul Anam as members.
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The committee was formed amid a report by a private TV station claiming that a national team player was physically abused by the head coach during the World Cup. Although the committee was not initially tasked with investigating this claim, it is expected that they may address the issue.
The report did not mention the name of any cricketer, but speculation surfaced that the cricketer in question was the national team spinner, Nasum Ahmed. Akram did not clarify if they are also tasked with the investigation of that allegation.
“We are asked to analyze the performance,” Akram said. “We will inform the board about what was negative and what was positive. Then the board will decide how we will proceed.”
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Earlier, Akram said, when asked about the alleged abuse of a cricketer by the head coach, that they would talk to the involved individuals. On December 5, the committee sat with Nasum and talked to him about the World Cup. However, it’s not clear if Nasum was asked anything about that alleged abuse.
BCB unveils title sponsor just two days before BPL's start
With just two days remaining before the commencement of the new season of the Bangladesh Premier League (BPL), the Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB), on Wednesday, unveiled Ispahani, one of the country's largest tea producers, as the title sponsor for BPL 2024.
The announcement of the title sponsor was overshadowed by numerous questions that the BCB could not address properly.
A representative from a sponsor mentioned that the negativity surrounding BPL in the previous season was 'part and parcel' of the game. Tanvir Ahmed, the chairman of the BCB media department, echoed this sentiment in the same manner.
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When questioned about whether the BCB welcomes controversy in the BPL, Tanvir clarified that they did not intend that, mentioning the collective effort is required to make the BPL a success.
He vaguely said the BCB will do everything needed to improve the brand of BPL.
BPL once was an attractive event to the cricket-mad fans of Bangladesh. But in recent years, the public's interest in BPL has receded notably. Tanvir resorted to the quality of the competition in the field while replying to a question about it.
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With this season, the BPL is completing ten seasons. Surprisingly, none of the teams who are going to participate in this season were part of the first season of BPL in 2012.
A total of seven teams will compete in this year’s BPL, and one of those teams is Durdanto Dhaka, yet another new team in the competition. With Durdanto Dhaka, the total number of teams that played in at least one edition of BPL reached 28, indicating that the teams tend to lose their interest in playing in BPL— the only T20 event in the country with a permanent place in BCB’s yearly calendar.
Some franchises have asked the BCB to share the revenue of BPL with them, which was in demand in the past, too. But the BCB is still ignoring it.
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“We want to run BPL based on a sustainable structure— both for BCB and franchises,” Nizam Uddin Chowdhury, the chief executive officer of BCB, said. He confirmed that BCB will not share revenue with the franchises, saying that the financial model BCB currently has is incompatible with the demand for sharing revenue.
BCB unveils ticket prices for Dhaka Phase of BPL
The Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) has officially announced the ticket prices for the 10th edition of the Bangladesh Premier League (BPL), set to kick off on January 19 in Dhaka.
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Tickets will be available for the fans at the Shaheed Suhrawardy Indoor Stadium, Mirpur, and the ticket-selling counter adjacent to Gate-1 of Sher-e-Bangla National Cricket Stadium, Mirpur-2 (near the Academy Ground).
A grand stand ticket will cost Tk 2,500, while each ticket for the VIP stand, club house, north and south stand, and eastern stand will cost Tk 1,500, Tk 800, Tk 400, and Tk 200, respectively.
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Ticket sales will commence on January 16, starting at 9:30 am and continuing until 8:00 pm.
After the initial Dhaka phase, the tournament will move to Sylhet, return to Dhaka again, and then travel to Chattogram, culminating in the final phase back in Dhaka. The ticket prices for the subsequent phases will be disclosed at a later date.
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BCB announces women's U-19 team for Tri-nation T20 Cricket Tournament in Cox's Bazar
Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) announced on Monday (January 15) a 16-member final squad of the Bangladesh women's U-19 cricket team to play in the Under-19 Tri-nation T20 cricket tournament, beginning on January 24 in Cox's Bazar.
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The Tri-Nation Tournament involving hosts Bangladesh, Pakistan, and Sri Lanka begins on January 24 at the Sheikh Kamal International Cricket Stadium (SKICS) in Cox's Bazar.
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Hosts Bangladesh will play Sri Lanka on January 24 in the opening match, play Pakistan on January 27, meet Sri Lanka again on January 28, and play Pakistan again on January 31 before the top two teams' final on February 3.
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Members of the Bangladesh team are: Sumaiya Akter (captain), Rabeya, Nishita Akter Nishita, Sumaiya Akter Suborna, Fahmida Choya, Afia Ashima Era, Unnoti Akter, and Arvin Tani. Eva Khatun, Asrafi Yesminarthy, Habiba Islam Pinky, Janatul Maoua, Rabaya Khatun, Suborna Kormoker, Faria Akter, and Anisha Akter Soba.
Taskin regrets missed IPL opportunity, upbeat about comeback in BPL
Bangladesh speedster Taskin Ahmed is working on his recovery from a shoulder injury. The pacer said he is upbeat about making a comeback in the upcoming season of the Bangladesh Premier League (BPL) but expressed regret over missing the IPL chance.
The pacer was included in the IPL draft — the cash-rich T20 event in India. However, at the last moment, his name was withdrawn by Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB), marking the thrid time he missed an IPL opportunity.
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“As a cricketer, I always want to play in franchise leagues,” Taskin said. “With this, I missed the IPL chance three times.”
Taskin also missed the opportunity to play in the recently-concluded New Zealand series due to the shoulder injury.
“I would have enjoyed it if I was on this tour. It's always great to bowl in New Zealand,” he said. “I would have witnessed Bangladesh's success if I were there. Bangladesh played really well. It's our team, and the pride is always ours.”
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Bangladesh's pace-bowling unit performed well in New Zealand, making the most of the conditions. During the tour, Bangladesh won an ODI and a T20I, marking the first instances of Bangladesh winning white-ball international matches against New Zealand on Kiwi soil.
The right-arm pacer mentioned that he has started to bowl with full strength and is expected to make a return with BPL.
Bangladesh National Cricket Team’s Future Tour Program by ICC in 2024
“I’m feeling much better now and have started bowling,” he said. “We still have two weeks to go before BPL, so I believe I can make a comeback fully fit.”
Bangladesh National Cricket Team’s Future Tour Program by ICC in 2024
The International Cricket Council (ICC) has announced the FTP (Future Tour Program) for the next 4 years which starts in 2023 and will end in the year 2027. During this period, Bangladesh Men’s Cricket Team will play over 150 matches.
Tigers will start their international campaign, after playing BPL (Bangladesh Premier League), a franchise cricket league organized by the Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB), starting from the 19th of January to the 1st Of March.
This article will discuss the complete FTP schedule of the Bangladesh Cricket Team for 2024.
Breakdown Of 2024 FTP of Bangladesh Men’s Cricket Team
In 2024, Bangladesh Men's Cricket Team will have a very busy schedule, as they will play 14 Tests, 9 ODI, and 17 T2OI (including a T20 World Cup).
It is a big year for the team as they don’t play Test cricket that much.
Also with the big event, the International Twenty20 World Cup, which will take place this year in the West Indies and USA, Bangladesh cricket fans can look forward to another year of exciting cricket.
Read more: Bangladesh Men’s Test Cricket in 2023: Performance Analysis
Table: Bangladesh Men’s Cricket Team FTP For 2024
Duration
Series
Series Details
Venue
Feb-March 2024
Sri Lanka Tour Of Bangladesh
2 Tests, 3 ODI’s, 3 T20I’s
Bangladesh
April 2024
Zimbabwe Tour Of Bangladesh
2 Tests, 5 T20I’s
Bangladesh
June 2024
ICC T20 World Cup 2024
West Indies, USA
July-August 2024
Bangladesh Tour Of Afghanistan
2 Tests, 3 ODI’s, 3 T20I’s
Afghanistan
Aug-Sep 2024
Bangladesh Tour Of Pakistan
2 Tests
Pakistan
Sep-Oct 2024
Bangladesh Tour Of India
2 Tests 3 T20I’s
India
Oct-Nov 2024
South Africa Tour Of Bangladesh
2 Tests
Bangladesh
Nov - Dec 2024
Bangladesh Tour of West Indies
2 Tests, 3 ODI’s, 3 T20I’s
West Indies
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