Bangladesh spin bowling coach Mushtaq Ahmed heaped praise on his spinners and termed them “genuine match-winners” ahead of the upcoming two-match Test series against Pakistan, starting on August 21 in Rawalpindi. Ahmed didn’t reveal the playing combination for the opening match of the series and said it would be decided after assessing the conditions. “We will decide the combination after going to Rawalpindi and assessing the conditions there. Spinners have an important role in Test cricket, their importance cannot be denied,” Ahmed said in the press conference on Thursday.

“Bangladesh’s spinners are a vital cog in their lineup and they are genuine match-winners. The good thing is that the country is producing good bowlers. If the condition is favourable for fast bowlers, we have good pacers too,” he added.

Ahmed also highlighted the strength of Pakistan spinners and opined that they should have a spin consultant. He suggested taking advantage of experts like Saqlain Mushtaq, Abdul Rehman, and Saeed Ajmal, and benefiting from these coaches at the grassroots level as well.

“Pakistan has good spinners and should have a spin consultant. Taking advantage of experts like Saqlain Mushtaq, Abdul Rehman, and Saeed Ajmal at the grassroots level can be beneficial,” he stressed.

The veteran cricketer further thanked the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) for inviting Bangladesh early for the tour to hold practice sessions due to political unrest in their country.

“The PCB has set an example of good relations by inviting Bangladesh early. This has pleased everyone and facilitated training,” he concluded.

The Bangladesh senior cricket team will arrive in Pakistan on August 13 after the political unrest at home disrupted the preparations for the two-match Test series, the PCB announced on Saturday. The Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) has accepted the invitation from the PCB in this regard. Bangladesh will face Pakistan in two Test matches which are part of the ICC World Test Championship. The first Test will be played at Rawalpindi from August 21 and 25 while the second match will take place between August 30 and September 3 at Karachi.

PCB Chief Operating Officer Salman Naseer said they were delighted that BCB had accepted their invitation.

“Sports is not only about winning and losing, it’s also about comradery. I remain confident that the extra training sessions in Lahore will allow the (Bangladesh) players to showcase their skills and talent on the global stage” said Naseer.

BCB Chief Executive Nizam Uddin Chowdhury thanked the PCB for giving the Bangladesh cricket team the opportunity to have additional training in Pakistan.

“This will certainly help the players to acclimate to the conditions and prepare better for the ICC World Test Championship series,” he said.

Bangladesh will train at the Gaddafi Stadium between August 14 and 16 before traveling to Rawalpindi on August 17 to hold practice sessions from August 18.

This will be Bangladesh’s first tour to Pakistan since 2020 when they played three T20Is in Lahore and a one-off Test in Rawalpindi.

Pakistan will host Bangladesh, England and West Indies for the Test series in the 2024-2025 season. The season will kick off in August and will go till January 2025. Earlier, the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) announced the dates and schedule for their upcoming home season. Babar Azam-led Pakistan will start their home season by hosting Bangladesh for two-Test series, where a Test will be played in Rawalpindi and the other one in Karachi, from August 21 to September 3.

After the two-match Test series against Bangladesh, England will arrive in Pakistan to play three Test matches in Multan, Karachi and Rawalpindi from October 7 till 28.

Following Pakistan’s Test series against Bangladesh and England, they will travel to Australia and Zimbabwe for limited-overs matches. The Aussies will take on Pakistan in the three ODI and three T20Is series from November 4 till 18.

From November 24 till December 5, Pakistan will lock horns against Zimbabwe for three ODIs and three T20Is.

Pakistan’s tour of South Africa will kick off with a 20-over series from December 10 and will continue with two Test matches from December 26 to January 7 in Centurion and Cape Town.

Pakistan will host West Indies for two Test matches. The first long-format game will be played in Karachi from Janury 16th till 20th. Meanwhile, the second game will be played in Multan from January 24 till 28.

After the end of the Test series against Bangladesh, England, and West Indies, Pakistan will host New Zealand and South Africa for a ODI tri-series.

The first match will be played on February 8th between Pakistan and New Zealand in Multan. The second and third will be played between New Zealand and South Africa, Pakistan and South Africa, respectively. The final match will be played on February 14. All the game will be played in Multan.