Spin can play a big part in New Zealand

Bangladesh spin bowling consultant Daniel Vettori on Thursday said that Tigers’ spinners like Mehidy Hasan Miraz, Nasum Ahmed and Mahedi Hasan will still have an important role to play in the upcoming three ODIs and three T20Is against New Zealand despite having a pace-heavy Bangladesh squad. 

New Zealand have always produced fast and bouncy pitches.  Along with that, their seam-friendly weather and the windy conditions that plays a big role in troubling the visiting batters.

Bangladesh announced a 20-member squad for the tour that includes seven front-line pacers, keeping that in mind.  

“Spin can play a big part. You can see how successful [New Zealand spinners] Mitchell Santner and Ish Sodhi have been in the recent series against Australia. Even Ashton Agar and Adam Zampa [of Australia], they all played a role,” said Daniel Vettori in a recorded video message to the BCB after the team’s first practice session in Queenstown yesterday. 

Bangladesh players practiced as a team for the first time today at the picturesque John Davies Oval in Queenstown since arriving in New Zealand on February 24. The former left-arm spinner Vettori joined the Tigers today and is expected to be with the Bangladesh team till the end of the T20I series.  

Bangladesh are missing top all-rounder and their most successful and experienced spinner Shakib Al Hasan on the tour as the left armer skipped the New Zealand series to attend the birth of his third child.

In Shakib's absence and with Taijul Islam left out of the squad, Mehidy Hasan Miraz remains the most experienced regular off-spinner in the squad. 

The 23-year-old off-spinner also comes fresh from a brilliant series against the West Indies earlier this year. Mehedi was the most successful bowler with seven wickets at an average of 10.28 including a four-wicket haul, which earned him the man-of-the-match award in the second game in the series that Bangladesh won 3-0.

Mehedi also broke into the top-ten of the ICC ODI bowling rankings for the first time in his career after his impressive showing in the ODI series against the Windies. And Vettori remained confident that the current world number 4 bowler will be able to come up with yet another inspiring performance in the upcoming matches.  

“I think everyone knows that spin is such an important part of white-ball cricket and with [Mehedi Hasan] Miraz in particular, how experienced he is, how successful he was in the recent series against West Indies, he can bring a lot to the table. And backed up by Mahedi [Hasan] and Nasum [Ahmed], I think they can really find a place in the team and then contribute with performances,” Vettori concluded.