Bangladesh assistant coach, Nic Pothas, has advised the hosts not to solely focus on the spin threat posed by Afghanistan in the upcoming home series. Pothas emphasized the potential risks of fixating on a single aspect of the opposition’s game.

Recalling Bangladesh’s humiliating defeat in a one-off Test match against Afghanistan in 2019, where they struggled against the slow bowlers, Pothas acknowledged the impact of star Afghan spinner Rashid Khan, who claimed 11 wickets in that game with support from other spinners.

However, Pothas, a former South African cricketer appointed to the Bangladesh team in April, highlighted the importance of not underestimating Afghanistan’s pace unit as well. He emphasized the need to address the seam threat before encountering spin, cautioning against allocating excessive attention to spin and finding themselves in trouble against the seamers.

Pothas expressed enthusiasm for the challenge and stressed the significance of strategic analysis and preparation, comparing a Test match to a game of chess. He acknowledged that Bangladesh has made progress in limited-overs cricket but still faces batting challenges in the longer format, as witnessed in the ongoing series against West Indies A.

Regarding the batting concerns, Pothas stated that he needs time to observe the players and understand their approach before implementing any significant changes. He acknowledged that every team goes through waves of success and believes that Bangladesh has the potential to improve in Test cricket based on the abilities displayed by the players in training.

The Afghanistan cricket team is set to arrive in Dhaka on June 10 for the series, which includes a Test match, three ODIs in India, and three ODIs and two T20Is in Bangladesh. The series will conclude with the T20Is in Sylhet on July 14 and 16.