Pakistan spin legend Mushtaq Ahmed, Bangladesh's current spin bowling coach, has named Taijul Islam among his three best spinners in world cricket today, placing the left armer alongside South Africa's Keshav Maharaj and England's Adil Rashid.

Speaking on Wisden's The Scoop, Mushtaq was asked to name his top three favourite spinners in the modern game, and explained his reasoning for the selection, pointing to Taijul's consistency and wicket taking record as key factors behind his inclusion in such elite company.

"I believe couple of spinners like Taijul Islam, 270 odd wickets, left arm spinner. Maharaj from South Africa. And if you see Adil Rashid from England, there are lots of spinners who are executing and delivering the best even in white ball cricket," Mushtaq said.

He also expressed surprise that Australia's Nathan Lyon, despite his lengthy Test career, has been overlooked for ODI selection in recent years, suggesting the veteran off spinner still had enough quality to feature.

"I am shocked actually Nathan Lyon is not playing ODI cricket because I think he still can play ODI cricket. I don't know why Australia has never considered him, but I think maybe his time has passed away now," he said.

Lyon last featured in an ODI during the 2019 World Cup, having gone on to play 143 Tests for Australia while managing only 29 appearances in the fifty over format across his lengthy international career.

Mushtaq stressed that consistency, rather than raw skill alone, was what separated his three picks from the rest of the field, particularly their ability to trouble batters through sustained, disciplined bowling over long periods.

"If you see off spinners or any left arm spinners who are consistently bowling good overs, remember my words, consistently good overs, then you can challenge people's technique and expose it," he said, explaining the thinking behind his rankings.

Beyond his rankings, Mushtaq also touched on Bangladesh's broader development pathway for young spin bowlers, highlighting leg spinner Rishad Hossain as a player already making his mark on the international stage.

"Rishad Hossain has been performing so well with the white ball. He got a Big Bash contract, he played the PSL, and he's been highlighted internationally," Mushtaq said.

He argued, however, that Rishad and others like him still needed regular exposure to red ball cricket to fully develop the game awareness required to succeed at the highest level over time.

"I still believe one thing, if your red ball cricket is getting stronger at domestic level, you can bring those kinds of leg spinners through, because you have to earn the right to know how to score hundreds, how to get five wickets," he explained.

Mystery spinner Mohammad Rubel has become one of the most talked about names in domestic cricket circles over the past few weeks, following a stunning showing in the Top End T20, an emerging players tournament held in Australia, where he took 23 wickets from just seven matches, 10 more than the next best bowler, sparking calls for a national call up despite already being 30.

Mushtaq pointed to exactly this kind of player when explaining his plans to identify raw mystery spin talent through age group camps in Bangladesh, aiming to refine technique and bowling action early before progressing suitable players into first class cricket.

"We've got camps going on in Bangladesh at under 19 and under 15 level, where I've told selectors we need mystery spinners, whether wrist spin or carrom ball, brought together so we can work on their technique," he said.