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Bangladesh’s esteemed spin consultant, Mushtaq Ahmed, who made a significant impact during the ICC T20 World Cup 2024, has decided to part ways with the team following the tournament. However, fans can anticipate his return to the squad in preparation for the ICC Champions Trophy 2025 next year.
Despite the Bangladesh Cricket Board’s strong desire for Mushtaq Ahmed to continue, the 54-year-old had pre-existing commitments with the England Cricket Board. Mushtaq is scheduled to fulfill his role as spin consultant for the England U-19 team, having been signed by the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) until the year’s end.
Mushtaq Ahmed earned widespread acclaim for his leadership in bolstering Bangladesh’s spin attack. His guidance proved instrumental, notably contributing to the breakout performance of debutant Rishad Hossain, who emerged as Bangladesh’s leading wicket-taker in the ICC T20 World Cup 2024 with an impressive tally of 14 wickets.
Bangladesh made a remarkable stride in the ICC T20 World Cup 2024, advancing to the Super 8 stage after a series of impressive performances driven by their formidable spin bowling unit. Led by Najmal Shanto, the team showcased their strength by defeating Sri Lanka, Netherlands, and Nepal to secure a coveted spot in the Super 8 alongside South Africa from Group D.
In the subsequent Super 8 matches, Bangladesh faced tough competition, narrowly losing to India by 5 runs, Australia by 28 runs, and Afghanistan by 8 runs (DLS method). Their spirited efforts kept them in contention for a semifinal berth until the very end, but Afghanistan clinched the spot by a slim margin.
Bangladesh’s journey in the tournament not only exceeded expectations but also garnered praise from the cricketing community for their competitive spirit and the impressive display of their spin attack throughout the event.
Looking forward to great time again: Mushtaq Ahmed
Mushtaq Ahmed, instrumental in shaping Bangladesh’s formidable spin strategy during the tournament, is now set to mentor England’s young talents. In a conversation with Cricbuzz, he expressed his eagerness to contribute to England’s cricketing future and indicated his intention to rejoin the Bangladesh team after fulfilling his current commitment.
“I already made some commitments before I signed with Bangladesh that run till the World Cup and I am looking forward to having a great time again,” he said.
Nizamuddin Chowdhury of the Bangladesh Cricket Board acknowledged that they were informed about Mushtaq Ahmed’s pre-existing commitments well before the ICC T20 World Cup 2024, in response to his departure from the support staff.
“According to the communication we had with Mushtaq we wanted specific number of days from him but he could not give that because he had previous commitment like he had an agreement with ECB while there are other commitments as well”, Chowdhury was quoted as saying by Bangladesh reporters.
“Due to this we only had made the agreements with him till T20 World Cup. I spoke with him and he had prior engagements till December, including the England U19 job,” he added.
We want Mushtaq Ahmed on long-term basis: BCB chief
Nevertheless, the BCB chief emphasized the Board’s anticipation of a lasting partnership with Mushtaq Ahmed until 2027, confirming his return as Bangladesh’s spin consultant before the year’s end.
“We are talking with him on long-term basis and we provided him with the FTP that is locked till 2027 and he is looking at it and will get back to us soon. After December when we will have him on a long-term basis we would like to have him for a specific amount of days and he can work elsewhere when he is not engaged with us,” he concluded.
Interestingly, due to Ahmed’s absence until December, he will miss out on overseeing three pivotal series for Bangladesh. The team is scheduled to tour Pakistan in August, India in September-October, and West Indies in November-December of this year.
Nevertheless, fans can expect the former Bangladesh spin legend to return in time for the ICC Champions Trophy 2025, slated to be held in Pakistan in February-March next year.
