Mushtaq Urges Players to Stay Composed as Series Win Nears

Bangladesh Spin Bowling Coach Mushtaq Ahmed wants the players to stay calm and disciplined as they gear up for the second ODI against West Indies to take an unassailable 2-0 lead in the three-match series at Sher-e-Bangla National Cricket Stadium. Spin played a huge part in Bangladesh's victory in the first match by 74 runs, something which gave them a psychological boost after a series of failures in a format, once dubbed as their strongest suit. Bangladesh brought back the familiar template that they used to use in Mirpur pitch to make the big guns an easy prey.

West Indies were trapped in that template with legspinner Rishad Hossain returning record-breaking figures of 6-35. With Bangladesh spinners set to enjoy another good outing in Mirpur, Mushtaq urged calmness and discipline rather than being over excited. "From a coaching point of view, you have to focus on process and belief. Turning pitches can take players out of their comfort zone, so we work on keeping them calm and disciplined," Mushtaq said here today. He advised the players to be focused and following the process, especially for spinners operating on turning pitches.

"As a spinner, when you see a wicket that turns a lot, you get excited. But when you're excited, you often forget your process. Process is everything," he said. "You don't take wickets by bowling one good ball - you take wickets by bowling good overs. On turning pitches, you need to bowl maidens, bowl good overs, and the wickets will come." Mushtaq also urged spinners to believe in their ability in a bid to overcome the pressure. "Sometimes, on these wickets, spinners feel more pressure because they have to deliver their best," he said. "But if you stick to your process and believe in yourself, the wickets will come. Rishad bowled very well - he kept a good line and length and started bowling his wrong'un consistently. This is very good news for Bangladesh cricket."