“All the players are excited about the first Test match,” Mushtaq said. “Shakib and Mushfiqur Rahim are the senior players. They are playing a positive role with the guys. I also give credit to the management who has been good with the players. The focus is on cricket now.”

Before that, he was playing for Bangla Tigers Mississauga in the Global T20 Canada where he had an eventful week. He played a match on August 5, mere hours after the Awami League government fell in Bangladesh and the prime minister Sheikh Hasina fled to India. As a result, Shakib lost his seat in the parliament and was booed by fans during the game.

“A cricketer has to have basics and belief to do well at this level, otherwise he loses the battle,” Mushtaq said. “Skill-level looks after itself. We will give them the belief that you can beat anyone. Bangladesh is a good side. You saw that they challenged good teams in the World Cup. They are getting good fast bowlers. They are going towards a good direction. If they keep learning and keep believing in themselves, hopefully, they can start winning games outside.”

“The spinners are very mature. They are keen to learn. My role is to talk about tactical and technical things. You have to wait for the technical things for after the match. Tactically, you have to tell the spinners which angle to use, how to read the pitch, what pace to use, field settings for particular batters. You need reminders despite your experience.

“Taijul [Islam] and [Mehidy Hasan] Miraz are match-winners. They are a great bunch of guys. They are coachable people. They are good listeners. I am honoured to be working with them. Hopefully, I can make a difference for them.”