Bangladesh spin bowling coach Mushtaq Ahmed believes leg-spinner Rishad Hossain has the potential to become a key figure in the country’s Test setup.
“One hundred percent, I expect him to play Test cricket,” Mushtaq said speaking to reporters on Monday ahead of the second ODI against the West Indies at the Sher-e-Bangla National Cricket Stadium in Mirpur.
Rishad, a regular member of Bangladesh’s T20I squad, has recently been integrated into the ODI setup but is yet to feature in the longest format.
Having worked closely with the young wrist spinner, Mushtaq feels Rishad could offer a crucial advantage in red-ball cricket, particularly against lower-order batters, once he sharpens his googly.
The 23-year-old grabbed attention with a match-winning spell in the first ODI on Saturday, returning figures of 6 for 35 in 9 overs.
“The last four wickets of the opposition — especially against sides like Australia and England, who bat deep — are very important. A leg-spinner with Rishad’s height, bounce, and a deceptive wrong’un can be very dangerous,” Mushtaq said reflecting on that performance.
“He can be a great asset in Test cricket,” Mushtaq added. “But he has to earn that place by consistently bowling good overs.”
Since his first-class debut in 2018, Rishad has featured in 21 matches, taking 31 wickets at an average of 45.38, including two five-wicket hauls.
Bd-pratidin English/FNC
