Herath Hopes to Get Next Shakib, Taijul from Spin Camp

Bangladesh spin bowling coach Rangana Herath believes that the ongoing special spin bowling camp will help the country get some spinners who would fill the shoes of Shakib Al Hasan or Taijul Islam in future, reports BSS.

Herath is given the responsibility to conduct the four-day camp, which began today at Sher-e-Bangla National Cricket Stadium in Mirpur with 32 spinners, who came from first class or Dhaka club cricket.

While the camp included known faces like Rokibul Hasan, Tanvir Islam, Hasan Murad, Nazmul Hossain Apu, Nahidul Islam, Rishad Hossain, Sanjit Saha, Sunjamul Islam, it also involved some of the unknown but promising faces like Ratan, Mohiul Islam Patwari, Tushar Mia, Anik, Taz Md Ehtashum Mahmud, Shadin Islam, Rubel.

"The main purpose is to identify potential spinners and at the same time we, the coaches, need to get our communication first. We had a good session so far and will be having more for the next few days so we are planning to get all the spinners and do more work for the next few days," Herath said here today.

"Still we're going to navigate the profiles and we're screening and all. Hopefully we will get a potential guy. They look very good so I'm sure that we will find very good option in the next few days."

Even though Bangladesh get a lot of spinners in the domestic cricket, the second cricket Test against Sri Lanka showed the dearth of the good spinners here.

When Nayeem Hassan who claimed six wickets in the first Test in Chattogram was injured, Bangladesh understood that they have no genuine off spinner to operate in Test level. They had to fill the void of Nayeem with Mosaddek, who failed to live up to the expectation.

Herath reckoned that this camp will be crucial in ending Bangladesh's quest for good spinners for the longer version format.

"I always feel that as a spinner, you need to turn the ball. Of course you need to maintain line and length. Test cricket is always testing your skill, it can be physically, mentally or tactically. You can't expect every single result in a quick way. We need to work with more spinners and that's why we're here," he remarked.

"If you have extra spinners as backup, it will be an advantage for Bangladesh cricket. For example, now Nayeem got injured and there is no proper off spinner. We need to keep a record of the spinners and maintain those spinners as a way forward."

According to Herath, Bangladesh have no lack of spinners but all they need to do is to bowl in partnership. He expected that he will see that in West Indies tour even though Herath skipped the tour for family reasons.

"In the previous game Nayeem got six, Taijul bowled very well and then Shakib got five. So all in all, this is a partnership. Basically we need to understand that every single bowler can't take every single wicket. In that case, if you don't get wickets, you need to bowl in partnerships," he said.

"Of course there is something to be improved but I'm sure they will learn something from out of this and before the West Indies tour, they will apply extra effort towards the West Indies tour."

The 32 spinners for special camp: Rokibul Hasan, Tanvir Islam, Hasan Murad, Nazmul Hossain Apu, Raihan, Nahidul Islam, Rishad Hossain, Sanjit Saha, Rony Chowdhury, Sunjamul Islam, Iftakhar Sajjad Rony, Rahatul Ferdaus, Tipu Sultan, Al Mamun Raju, Minhajul Abedin Afridi, Meharab Ohin, Shadat Hosain Sabuj, Naim Hossain Sakib, Jubair Hossain Likhon, Akash, Amit Mollick, Mujakkir, Abu Hasim, Ariful Jony, Sk Antor, Ratan, Mohiul Islam Patwari, Tushar Mia, Anik, Taz Md Ehtashum Mahmud, Shadin Islam, Rubel.