Bangladesh are going into the ICC Champions Trophy without ace spinner Shakib Al Hasan and even though the pace battery has been firing, the Tigers would need their spin department to step up in the event.

The Tigers' spinners did not enjoy the best of outings in the ODI series in West Indies in December 2024 -- their last 50-over assignment before the Champions Trophy. The Tigers' spinners managed just six wickets between themselves in three matches as the hosts swept the series 3-0.

More acutely, the spinners struggled to find a grip on the game in the middle overs, where West Indies did the bulk of the scoring and also consolidated from early loss of wickets.

In the first ODI in St Vincent, Mehedi Hasan Miraz and Rishad Hossain -- Bangladesh's two spinners in that game -- bowled 15 overs during the middle overs, bagging a wicket each.

West Indies slumped to three for 94 chasing 295 when Rishad bowled a relatively poor short ball but was rewarded for it with Keacy Carty's wicket. But from that point on West Indies put up three 90-plus stands to win the game.

Miraz had ended Shai Hope's 86-run knock in the 37th over but leaked 62 runs in nine overs, as both Tiger spinners were guilty of bowling too conservatively and paid for it at the hands of the West Indian batters.

The story would be repeated in the third ODI when Bangladesh posted 321 for five and had brought in Nasum Ahmed as the third spinner to bolster the spin department.

Nasum made a crucial breakthrough in the Powerplay but was then taken for runs, unable to complete his quota and taken off the attack after just the 27th over, having conceded 56 off seven overs. Afif Hossain had to fill in his overs and that did not work out either.

That same game, Rishad and Miraz bowled 13 overs between overs 15 to 40 and although the former bagged two wickets in the 34th and 38th over, there was a feeling that West Indies already had the measure of the spinners as both went for runs.

In the Caribbean, it appeared the spinners were struggling with both trajectory and length in flat surfaces. It remains to be seen how much help would be there in Dubai and Rawalpindi for spinners but whatever maybe the case, the spinners are bound to play a crucial as usually in the subcontinent, the slower bowlers provide breakthroughs during the middle overs.

Bangladesh's former spin bowling coach and now head coach of Bangladesh Tigers programme Sohel Islam felt that in the absence of Shakib, one of the three spinners in the side has to take on the leading role.

"Shakib has undoubtedly played a significant role [in middle overs] numerous times. Miraz is doing that too and Rishad has arrived along with Nasum. They will need a bit of time.

"They would have thought about these things in practice and during matches and realised that one of them has to take the leading role. Also, they have to think how they can get wickets, keep batters under pressure and bowl dot balls.

"Since they are sort of new to this role, they will need some time. But they are talented and have the skill and the ability to adjust very quickly," Sohel said.

Miraz is easily the most experienced out of the three spinners with 110 wickets in 103 ODIs. The onus will be on the spinners and especially on Miraz to provide breakthroughs if the Tigers want to make a big splash in the event.