Bangladesh assistant coach, Nic Pothas, has advised the hosts not to solely focus on the spin threat posed by Afghanistan in the upcoming home series. Pothas emphasized the potential risks of fixating on a single aspect of the opposition’s game.

Recalling Bangladesh’s humiliating defeat in a one-off Test match against Afghanistan in 2019, where they struggled against the slow bowlers, Pothas acknowledged the impact of star Afghan spinner Rashid Khan, who claimed 11 wickets in that game with support from other spinners.

However, Pothas, a former South African cricketer appointed to the Bangladesh team in April, highlighted the importance of not underestimating Afghanistan’s pace unit as well. He emphasized the need to address the seam threat before encountering spin, cautioning against allocating excessive attention to spin and finding themselves in trouble against the seamers.

Pothas expressed enthusiasm for the challenge and stressed the significance of strategic analysis and preparation, comparing a Test match to a game of chess. He acknowledged that Bangladesh has made progress in limited-overs cricket but still faces batting challenges in the longer format, as witnessed in the ongoing series against West Indies A.

Regarding the batting concerns, Pothas stated that he needs time to observe the players and understand their approach before implementing any significant changes. He acknowledged that every team goes through waves of success and believes that Bangladesh has the potential to improve in Test cricket based on the abilities displayed by the players in training.

The Afghanistan cricket team is set to arrive in Dhaka on June 10 for the series, which includes a Test match, three ODIs in India, and three ODIs and two T20Is in Bangladesh. The series will conclude with the T20Is in Sylhet on July 14 and 16.

Mahmudullah Riyad Excluded from Bangladesh’s 26-Member Camp for Afghanistan Series. Bangladesh’s experienced campaigner, Mahmudullah Riyad, has not been included in the 26-member preparatory camp for the upcoming series against Afghanistan at home.

The camp commenced today at the Mirpur Sher-e-Bangla National Stadium, with assistant coach Nic Pothas overseeing the batting practice session from the beginning.

Team manager Nafees Iqbal informed the media that five of the 26 cricketers, expected to participate in the red and white-ball series against Afghanistan, are yet to join the camp.

Mahmudullah’s omission came as a surprise, considering that Bangladesh ODI captain Tamim Iqbal had previously mentioned Mahmudullah’s consideration for the number seven spot in the batting order, with the 2023 ODI World Cup in mind. The President of the Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB), Nazmul Hassan Papon, had also echoed similar sentiments.

Nafees further informed that Mahmudullah, who lost his place in the ODI team after the home series against England in March and subsequently missed two ODI series against Ireland, was present in the country but was not called up for the preparatory camp.

When asked about Mahmudullah’s absence in the camp, Nafees responded, “No, otherwise you would have seen him.”

Following the expected announcement of the squad for the lone Test against Afghanistan scheduled for June 14, the Bangladesh team will intensify their preparations with official training sessions starting from June 4, a day after head coach Chandika Hathurusingha returns to the country.