Afghanistan have the best spin attack in the world: Nic Pothas

Bangladesh assistant coach Nic Pothas feels Bangladesh can bounce back in the third and final ODI against Afghanistan in Chattogram on Tuesday despite losing the series 2-0 already.

"We are talking about professional players. These guys are very professional in the way they go about their business. It doesn't take a lot of boosting from us. They are always ready. This is a fantastic group of players," he said at a press conference on ahead of the match on Monday. 

However, he gave credit to Afghanistan and their spin attack, labelling it the best in the world: "I think if we are honest, they have the best spin attack in the world. That's just a fact. These three guys have played a lot of white-ball cricket around the world. It is a captain's dream where each one does his job whenever given the ball. Technically, the challenge that they have presented, is a huge advantage to us. It will make us better. If you can face this level of spin, you can face anybody."

"They keep coming at us. No other team in the world has three spinners of this quality that keep coming at you all the time. It is very beneficial for our team. They are ranked below us, but two of those spinners are among the top three spinners in the world. We are looking at it with a very positive outlook," he added.

"I think it is not a question of whether we struggled. It is a question of how the world struggles to pick them. Where they are ranked in the world will tell you everybody in the world struggle to pick them. I had Mujeeb with me at Middlesex. Even after I was talking to him as a wicketkeeper, I struggled to pick him from behind. Could everyone pick Shane Warne, Muralitharan? That's why they are the best in the world. That's why every competition in the world puts up so much money for mystery spin. The question is, what are we going to do about it, and how is it going to make us better," he further explained.

Pothas asked for patience from fans as he still feels the team is learning, especially some of the batters that have come under fire in recent times. 

"There's always going to be progress but under pressure, you will always revert to type. These things take time. I understand you guys want it to happen quickly. It doesn't happen quickly. People who have played 200 ODIs are learning all the way too. It is not going to happen quickly. The exciting part is the young crop of batsmen who will play at a very high level for Bangladesh for another 10-15 years," he said.

He wanted to remind everyone of what the ODI team had done this year and how they players and team shouldn't be written off: "We are very quick to forget that we have won a series against England, India and Ireland. We are judging world-class cricketers on two games. We should make sure we judge them over a long period of time. Not two games."