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Published : 19 Oct 2025, 07:23 PM
Bangladesh’s leg-spinner Rishad Hossain is “slowly becoming a master of the googly”, according to the team’s spin coach Sohel Islam.
Sohel believes the 23-year-old is developing into a “complete wrist-spinner”.
“Earlier, Rishad didn’t have the googly. Now his confidence in leg-spin has grown, and he’ll gradually master the googly as well,” Sohel said.
Only months ago, Bangladesh were bamboozled by Rashid Khan’s googlies in Abu Dhabi. This time in Mirpur, on a pitch of black clay, it was a Bangladeshi who spun the web.
Absent Rashid, it was Rishad who told the story of turn, flight, and deception, leaving the West Indian batters groping in confusion.
Their struggles were reminiscent of what Bangladesh once endured against Rashid.
Rishad is yet to reach the Afghan maestro’s heights, but Sohel believes he is on that path. The young spinner’s confidence soared after Saturday’s first ODI against the West Indies, where he followed a crucial lower-order cameo with a record-breaking 6 for 33 to earn the Player of the Match award.
Rishad became the second leg-spinner to take the first five wickets in ODIs after Sri Lanka's Jeffrey Vandersay, who grabbed the first six wickets against India last year in Colombo.
His sixth wicket came off a googly. He did not need to bowl many of them -- the variations in his leg-spin were enough. Yet in recent tournaments, notably the Asia Cup and the Afghanistan series, he has started experimenting with the delivery more frequently.
During the Afghanistan series, he was seen chatting with Rashid Khan -- possibly about the art of the googly. Spin coach Mushtaq Ahmed, a former Pakistan leg-spinner and a master of the delivery himself, was also present.
Under Mushtaq and Sohel’s combined mentorship, Rishad has been refining his technique. On the eve of the West Indies series, both coaches closely observed every ball he bowled in the Sher-e-Bangla Stadium’s outer nets, analysing his wrist position, grip, balance, and release point.
Rishad’s journey has not been without setbacks. After taking 13 wickets in seven Pakistan Super League games earlier this year, he lost rhythm during the subsequent Pakistan series. Coaches discovered issues with his side-arm release and head position -- minor technical flaws with major consequences.
Sohel and Mushtaq corrected them through repeated sessions, focusing on alignment and body balance. The adjustments paid off. He rediscovered his rhythm during the Asia Cup, bowled superbly against Afghanistan, and now versus the West Indies.
“His bowling accuracy has improved a lot,” Sohel said. “He’s controlling the ball better, bowling fewer short balls and hitting the right areas. The pitch helped, but he used that advantage perfectly.”
Rishad’s 6 for 33 in nine overs included 35 dot balls. With 34 wickets this year, he is Bangladesh’s most successful bowler in 2025.
