The Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) is keen to strike a long-term deal with spin coach Mushtaq Ahmed despite the former Pakistan legend was appointed by England Cricket Board as their coach for the Under-19 team.

Under the guidance of Mushtaq, Bangladesh legspinner Rishad Hossain and the other spinners put a commendable performance in the recently concluded T20 World Cup, which prompted BCB to seek a long-term deal.

In its “Board of Directors” meeting in the last week, the BCB also approved the process to extend his contract, which ended after the T20 World Cup but the news came to the fore that Mushtaq had already joined England Cricket Board (ECB) to guide their Under-19 team.

 He earlier served England’s national team as spin coach.
 
The BCB CEO Nizamuddin Chowdhury, however, refused to give up the hopes, saying that they would try to manage him for a certain period during his contract with the ECB.
 
“I don’t know elaborately about his contract with the ECB. But we want to manage his service for a certain period for the time being. We’ll continue to discuss with him in this regard that how can he continue with Bangladesh while working with the ECB,” Chowdhury said here today.
 
Bangladesh’s next assignment is against Mushtaq’s country Pakistan where they will play a two-match Test series.
 
“At the moment I cannot say anything specifically. Earlier we signed a deal with him till the T20 World Cup because he has several agreements. But we have been in discussion to sort it out. If he can manage time, he will try to give it to Bangladesh.”

The CEO informed that they have already sent the schedule of all the series of Bangladesh to Mushtaq so that he can find it out easily to how he can work with the Tigers amid his contract with the ECB.

"We have sent the schedule of our upcoming series. He sees that. He will inform us as soon as possible,” he added.

 “In the last press conference, our president said that we are interested in him.

As we are getting positive response from him too, we are thinking about him for now. We will ask for a certain number of days at this moment and then after December, we’ll try to strike a long term deal with him,” the CEO further said.

BDST: 2105 HRS, JULY 08, 2024
MSK