Mushtaq Ahmed, Bangladesh’s spin bowling coach, has called the eight-wicket defeat to West Indies in Mirpur a wake-up call for the country’s spinners.
He wants them back to basics, not shaken, after taking no wicket with spin in the chase.
Speaking to reporters on Sunday, the former Pakistan leg-spinner was blunt about what went wrong.
“Still, as a spinner you have to turn the ball, spin the ball. You can only beat people when you spin the ball.”
The numbers back him. On a dry, dusty surface offering sharp turn and uneven bounce, Bangladesh’s spinners took only eight wickets in the match, all in the first innings. Nayeem Hasan’s four for 33 led the way.
Jomel Warrican took five for 53 in the first innings and four in the second, while captain Roston Chase took five in the second and debutant Joshua Bishop claimed two in the first. Between them they took all 16.
The chase underlined it. On Saturday, captain Najmul Hossain Shanto kept doing the same thing for 18 overs straight, hoping for a different outcome, while Taijul Islam, Mehidy Hasan Miraz and Nayeem Hasan shared the first 108 legal deliveries of the chase.
Mushtaq admitted the instructions were clear.
“We tried to tell them to spin the ball and to bowl with lesser pace. But sometimes when you are trying to win the game, you don’t remember the process, it gets lost.”
He framed the defeat as a learning experience, insisting that patience, consistency and sustained pressure remain vital on turning surfaces.
“Sometimes in Test matches like this, it is a great wake-up call.”
Mushtaq sounded far more upbeat about the 'Robi Bowler Hunt', a nationwide search for young bowlers run by the Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) in October, with local and foreign coaches taking part.
Bangladesh has long produced fine spinners and he is hunting for successors.
“There are a lot of spinners here who have very good actions and can turn the ball. They are very talented.”
One young spinner caught his eye with an action like South Africa’s Paul Adams, and the coach liked their game sense and awareness of where to improve.
Two mystery spinners have also stood out, with more assessments due in the coming days.
Bangladesh face West Indies in the second Test from November 5.