Sunil Joshi extends stint with the Tigers
||Desk Report||
Bangladesh spin-bowling coach Sunil Joshi will remain with the team till the ICC World Cup in England and Wales, as his contract has been extended with the Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB).
The former India spinner joined the Bangladesh team before their Test series against Australia in August last year. His tenure was later extended for a year following good results and recommendation of the seniors.
“It's a great opportunity, and I am thankful to the Bangladesh Cricket Board for having kept the trust in me,” Joshi was quoted as saying by Cricbuzz. “There is a very positive vibe within the team, having won the ODI and T20I series against WIndies earlier this year, as well as getting to the final of the Asia Cup and losing very narrowly to India.
“There are a lot of positives. The players have started believing in themselves since their wonderful run to the semifinal [quarterfinal] at the 2015 World Cup. They are no longer satisfied at pushing the top teams in the world, they are confident that they can beat them both in white-ball and red-ball cricket, which has given the thrust to the players and to me as well.”
Joshi, who was the Man of the Match in Bangladesh's inaugural Test, brought about substantial improvements in Bangladesh’s spin contingent, instilling a more attacking mentality, as the spinners are regularly seen sharing the new ball with the pacers.
Bangladesh won the first Test of the ongoing two-match series against West Indies, with the spinners taking all 20 wickets of the Caribbean side. Teenage debutant Nayeem Islam bagged a fifer in his very first innings in the match, which is indeed a testament to the environment Joshi has created.
The 48-year-old will continue his stint with the team and work alongside Courtney Walsh, Ryan Cook, Neil McKenzie, and head-coach Steve Rhodes till the 50-over global event between May and July 2019.
