BCB turns to Rafique to address spin crisis

In a bid to address the long-standing shortage in the spin department, the Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) has taken a visible step by appointing former left-arm spinner Mohammad Rafique as a specialist spin coach.

The decision was officially confirmed on Saturday (April 4) by Cricket Operations Chairman Nazmul Abedeen Fahim following a board meeting. The experienced former cricketer has been signed on a one-year contract.

Explaining the imbalance in the current coaching structure, Fahim highlighted the lack of spin-bowling coaches in the country. He said, “We have around 8-10 pace-bowling coaches if we count, but if we look back, we might not even find three spin coaches.”

The board views this gap as a significant challenge for the future. Fahim also outlined plans for long-term development in spin bowling. In this context, he stated, “That area is very concerning. We need to develop our own spin coaches. Rafique is almost a ready-made option who can serve immediately. Alongside him, we may identify two or four more individuals in the future and try to develop them.”

He further noted that the shortage of specialist coaches has become more evident with the decentralisation of the cricket structure. Explaining the reasoning behind the appointment, he said, “As we move towards decentralisation, we are realising that we do not have enough specialised personnel. Keeping that in mind, this appointment has been made.”

It is worth mentioning that during his long international career, the left-arm spinner claimed 100 wickets in 33 Test matches for the national team.