Mushtaq Ahmed hails Shakib Al Hasan and Mushfiqur Rahim for 'playing a positive role' in Bangladesh team

Bangladesh's spin bowling consultant Mushtaq Ahmed has praised the senior players Shakib Al Hasan and Musfiqur Rahim for playing a positive role in the team that has helped lift the morale of the players.

Shakib Al Hasan and Mushfiqur Rahim are two of the most senior players in Bangladesh squad for the two-match Test series against Pakistan. Both have served Bangladesh cricket for almost two decades in all the formats of the game.

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Mushtaq Ahmed hails Shakib Al Hasan and Mushfiqur Rahim

While speaking to the media ahead of the first Test match between Pakistan and Bangladesh, Mushtaq Ahmed heaped praises on Shakib Al Hasan and Mushfiqur Rahim for creating a positive environment in the team. Mushtaq also credited the team management for creating a good team environment.

"All the players are excited about the first Test match. Shakib (Al Hasan) and Mushfiqur Rahim are the senior players. They are playing a positive role with the guys. I also give credit to the management who has been good with the players. The focus is on cricket now," Mushtaq said.

Shakib was recently playing in the Global T20 Canada where he was leading his team Bangla Tigers Mississauga. He has gone through a lot in the past week.

The star allrounder was involved in a controversy when he decided to not show up for the toss in his team's eliminator match against Toronto Nationals, which led to his team's exit from the competition.

On the political front, Shakib Al Hasan lost his seat in the parliament after the fall of the Awami League government in Bangladesh after Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina was forced to leave the country following political turmoil. During the match in GLT20 Canada, Shakib was even booed by some of the fans.

On the other hand, Mushfiqur Rahim is currently involved in a four-day first-class match against Pakistan A at Islamabad. The match has been severely affected by rain but it provided much-needed game time to Rahim who had not played a Test match in the last ten months.

Bangladesh's record in overseas Test series

Bangladesh have won just one Test series of two or more matches in overseas conditions in their cricketing journey.

They achieved the feat against West Indies in 2009. This makes their job in the upcoming Test series even more difficult. But Mushtaq was confident of them putting up a good performance as they were going in the right direction.

"A cricketer has to have basics and belief to do well at this level, otherwise he loses the battle. Skill-level looks after itself. We will give them the belief that you can beat anyone," Mushtaq said.

"Bangladesh is a good side. You saw that they challenged good teams in the World Cup. They are getting good fast bowlers.

They are going in a good direction. If they keep learning and keep believing in themselves, hopefully, they can start winning games outside," he added.

Mushtaq Ahmed lauds Bangladesh's spinners

Mushtaq Ahmed also praised Bangladesh's spinners for being good listeners and being eager to learn.

He explained his role with Taijul Islam and Mehidy Hasan Miraz and the thought process behind his role.

"The spinners are very mature. They are keen to learn. My role is to talk about tactical and technical things. You have to wait for the technical things for after the match. Tactically, you have to tell the spinners which angle to use, how to read the pitch, what pace to use, field settings for particular batters. You need reminders despite your experience."

"Taijul [Islam] and [Mehidy Hasan] Miraz are match-winners. They are a great bunch of guys. They are coachable people. They are good listeners. I am honored to be working with them. Hopefully, I can make a difference for them," the former Pakistan spinner added.

The two-match Test series will begin on August 21 in Rawalpindi. The series is a crucial one for both sides as they aim to gather some important points in the World Test Championship (WTC).

Pakistan is likely to rely on their fast bowlers in this series as they have just one spinner in the form of Abrar Ahmed in their squad.

On the other hand, Bangladesh is likely to rely on their experienced players like Shakib and Mushfiqur to play a key role in the series. They also have a decent spin attack that can trouble Pakistan.