Mushtaq Ahmed Urges Bangladesh Batters to ‘Play the Ball, Not the Bowler’ After Rashid Khan Wrecks Middle Order

Bangladesh spin-bowling coach Mushtaq Ahmed has called on the team’s batters to focus on playing deliveries on merit rather than being overwhelmed by reputations, following their crushing 81-run defeat against Afghanistan in the second ODI in Abu Dhabi on Saturday.

Rashid Khan was the architect of Bangladesh’s collapse, claiming 5 for 17—his sixth five-wicket haul in ODIs—as the visitors were bowled out for a paltry 109 while chasing 190. His incisive spell dismantled the middle order, helping Afghanistan seal the three-match series 2–0.

Mushtaq, a former Pakistan legspinner, pointed out that Bangladesh's batters appeared to be overawed by Rashid’s stature rather than responding to the actual deliveries bowled.

"I think they are playing Rashid, not the ball," Mushtaq said after the match. "He is not a big spinner of the ball, but he is very experienced and a consistent wicket-taker. His line and length are tight. We have to stop focusing on the bowler and start focusing on the ball."

Rashid struck in the 17th over by clean-bowling Towhid Hridoy and then ripped through the rest of the innings, taking four of the final five wickets. Bangladesh's batting frailty was evident as they failed to negotiate the middle overs, a period in which their average has dipped alarmingly this year.

Struggles in the Middle Overs

Bangladesh's middle-order issues have become more pronounced in 2025. This year, their average in the middle overs (11–40) has dropped to 21.86—their lowest since 2007—compared to 35.10 over the previous two years.

In this series alone, Bangladesh averaged just 18.70 during the middle overs, while Afghanistan managed 29.37. Both teams scored at under four runs per over in that phase, but Bangladesh’s inability to rotate strike against spin has led to frequent collapses.

Mushtaq emphasized the need for a more proactive approach in the middle overs.

"You must have better technique against spinners, especially in the middle overs—how to get singles on good balls. If you can rotate strike, you put more pressure on the bowler instead of yourself," he explained.

"When you play too many dot balls, you're forced into big shots and that’s when wickets fall. As a spinner, I know that the batters who can pick up singles and doubles regularly are the most difficult to bowl to."

T20I Success Not Translating to ODIs

Bangladesh’s struggles come despite recent success in T20Is, having won four bilateral series in a row, including against Sri Lanka and Pakistan. However, the transition from the shorter format to ODIs appears to be affecting their approach, particularly in batting.

"I think there is an issue in batting coming from T20s into ODIs," Mushtaq noted. "Everything else is clicking—our fielding, fitness, spin and pace bowling are all going well. The system is in place. But we need to sort out our batting in the 50-over format."

Despite the recent failures, Mushtaq remains optimistic about the team's potential and urged for swift improvements.

"They are good players. They can bat. But we have to be proactive and adapt to playing experienced spinners like Rashid quickly. If we can do that, I believe Bangladesh can challenge any team."

With the ODI series already lost, Bangladesh will aim to salvage pride in the third and final match and address the glaring issues in their batting unit.