There is a reason why Australia, as a nation, has always been big on leg-spinners, at least in its modern history. Conditions there do not allow finger spin to flourish much — you either bowl fast or you bowl leg spin. That has long been the case in Australia.
Bangladesh is quite the opposite.
Historically, Bangladesh’s conditions have helped finger spin more than any other kind of skill set. On the back of that, left-arm spin developed immensely, while leg spin was left behind.
Rishad Hossain, who hails from Bangladesh, a land where bowling leg spin was never fashionable.
But he went to Australia to play for Hobart Hurricanes in the Big Bash League, where he finished his campaign with 15 wickets — a number that, on its own, already placed him joint-leading wicket-taker among spinners in the tournament.
In a competition dominated by power hitters, fast bowling and flat pitches, Rishad consistently provided breakthroughs.
He did not rely on defensive bowling or protection from captains. Instead, he was used as an attacking option, often thrown the ball when partnerships were building or when Australia’s biggest names were at the crease.
The quality of his wickets tells the story. Steve Smith, Marnus Labuschagne, Mohammad Rizwan, Jake Fraser-McGurk (twice), Matt Renshaw, Moises Henriques, Aaron Hardie and others all fell to Rishad’s variations. These were not end-of-innings wickets; many came at moments that shifted momentum.
For a Bangladeshi leg-spinner, this is a statement in itself. More importantly, Rishad showed that he can survive — and thrive — in one of the toughest T20 environments in the world.
Earlier last year, Rishad also had a very good Pakistan Super League (PSL) campaign, where he played for Lahore Qalandars and took 12 wickets in eight innings.
Much like Australia, because of the flat nature of the wickets, leg spin and fast bowling are key to success in Pakistan. Rishad had a strong run there as well.
English wicketkeeper-batter Sam Billings was part of that journey, as he played for Lahore last year. Billings has also played in the Big Bash regularly over the past few seasons.
He shared his experience of working with Rishad. “We’ve become very good friends,” he told Daily Sun. “I think he’s an exceptional bowler. I really think he is one of the best bowlers around. I’ve been trying to get him to Kent to play as well. He’s such a humble guy,” he added.
“He works hard. He’s always got a smile on his face. And like I said, bowling spin in Pakistan and Australia are two tough places to bowl spin a lot of the time, and he’s been exceptional. He’ll only keep on rising. He’s a great guy, like I said, and someone who I think has got a very, very bright future. Hopefully he can keep on going,” he explained.
Courtesy: Daily Sun.
Bd-pratidin English/TR
