The Art of Leg Spin
F Waliullah

Bangladesh is the most recent test playing country, as well as a part of the Indian sub-continent where spinners are given extra added advantage. And yet, the leg spinners have always been discouraged to be developed because of the one-day based structure of Bangladesh domestic cricket.

Until recently, after gaining test match status that Bangladeshi leg spinners are provided with some sort of support by the national league teams that participate in three or four day games. It is known assumption that Bangladesh is weak in fast bowling department in general whether in facing pace bowling as batsman or bowling seamers as bowlers.

The only leg spinner who has emerged in the international arena after crossing the boundaries of domestic cricket was Wahidul Gani - the 'guru' or teacher of the sensational Mohammad Ashraful.

It is this Mohammad Ashraful who has created havoc with his leg spinners against the Bangladesh National Team players - who are supposed to be the top players in the country. He had taken 8 wickets - 5 wickets in the first innings and 3 wickets in the second innings of the just concluded Challenge trophy. Mohammad Ashraful's competitor Alok Kapali in leg spin bowling, has however failed to take any wicket on Day One of the match against Bangladesh A team.

Before the start of the South Africa tour, Bangladesh national captain as well as almost everybody has agreed that Bangladesh is weak in the pace bowling department. And after the tour is completed, the roar for a better pitch for pace bowling and bowling machines for practicing against fast bowling has started all over again. But these things cost a lot and our environment also does not suit fast bowling.

What everybody involved in organizing and managing cricket matches should have done already since gaining test status is work on our weakness against leg spin bowling. It has been two years - two seasons that we have earned our test status rights, and yet the only thing that has been done on this aspect is that we have only identified our weakness against leg spinners.

As proud citizens of Bangladesh and as cricket lovers, we should be looking to strenghthen this weakness of ours as soon as possible because developing and nurturing a leg spinner and strenghthening our batsman's weakness against leg spin does not cost as much as developing fast bowlers and demolishing our batsman's weakness against pace bowling.

All it needs is some care by everybody from the grass roots level to the higher up in order to learn the basics of bowling and facing googlies, leg spinners and flippers.

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