Do Bangladesh have the best bowling attack in the world?

Are you slightly bemused after reading this headline? Intrigued? Well, to be honest, this is how I felt too after seeing a post go viral on social media with a similar headline. 

During the ongoing ODI series between Pakistan and Afghanistan in Sri Lanka, the broadcasters put up two tables with stats. 

They were showing just how good the Pakistan pace bowling unit has been since the 2019 World Cup, and also, how good the Afghanistan spin bowling unit has been during that period.

But in that table, what caught the eyes of Bangladesh cricket supporters is where their team was.

Bangladesh were at the top of the list that showed the best spin bowling attacks, and second in the list that had the best pace bowling attacks. 

With 45 ODIs played by the Tigers in that period, Bangladesh's pacers took 189 wickets at an average of 28.33 and the spinners took 146 wickets at an average of 27.3 per wicket. 

More than just numbers

Stats aside, let's delve a bit deeper into the bowling makeup of the team.

In Shakib Al Hasan, they have their leader, their talisman, their go-to man, when the bowling attack needs a lift. 

In Taskin Ahmed, they have a pacer capable of leading the attack and causing all sorts of trouble to even the best of batters with his pace and bounce.

Mehidy Hasan Miraz has developed himself a lot as a spinner, especially in conditions away from home, and has made himself an invaluable part of the ODI setup.

Mustafizur Rahman might not be the mystery he was in 2015, and injuries might have forced him to change up his action, but he's still a more than capable bowler who can keep things quiet in the middle overs while also chipping in with wickets at the death overs. 

Speaking of death overs, Hasan Mahmud has worked past his injuries and made himself an important death overs bowler, especially with his pinpoint and lethal yorkers. 

This attack has a bit of everything, two spinners that offer variety and the same can be said about the three pacers. 

Depth in quality 

Apart from the bowlers mentioned already, left-arm pacer Shoriful Islam has been steadily making his way up the ranks.

He relies on hitting a good line and length but can also get the ball to swing in naturally.

The U-19 World Cup winner has been in good form recently and it can be a toss-up between him and Hasan Mahmud, depending on conditions. 

Then there is Ebadot Hossain, who is another bowler who can make things happen with his speed. 

Hits the deck hard when he wants to, he's the real enforcer of the bowling attack, but there is doubt over his participation in the World Cup due to an injury. 

Onto the spinners and Nasum Ahmed is a name that can be part of the squad and even the starting XI if conditions are spin-friendly.

He's made a good start to his ODI career with an economy of just 3.73 and an average of 22.75.

And if you want someone who can bat a bit and bowl too, off-spinner Mahedi Hasan can also be a useful option in the team.

Overall, the bowling options are there for Bangladesh and it's undoubtedly been their strength over the last four years in ODIs.

There is still the lack of a leg-spinner and a fast-bowling all-rounder in the side but the attack is a massive upgrade from the one we saw struggling and leaking runs aplenty in the 2019 World Cup.

Credit must be given to the team management and the coaches for building the bowling unit.

While Bangladesh have traditionally been a spin-dependant team, from 2015 we have seen the rise of the fast bowling unit.

Coaches like Champaka Ramanayake, Otis Gibson and Allan Donald deserve their fair share of credit for bringing up the fast bowlers.

While the numbers don't lie, teams like Australia, Pakistan and India, all have gun fast bowlers and useful spinners that can deal with any batting attack in world cricket.

So calling the Bangladesh bowling attack the best one out there may not get a lot of love, but they certainly have one of the best attacks in world cricket and will play a key role in Bangladesh's results in the Asia Cup and the World Cup.