Former Pakistani off spinner Saqlain Mushtaq, who revolutionised the art of off spin and made the doosra a household term, feels that Sunil Narine has been very impressive in the shorter formats and has a bright future ahead of him.
The West Indies tour of Bangladesh includes two Test matches, 5 ODIs and a solitary T20.
Speaking of the threat that young off spinner Narine poses to the Bangladeshi batsmen in the upcoming series, Saqlain said that Test cricket is where Narine will be thoroughly tested and the longer format is where greatness should be measured.
He said: "I've seen Narine from time to time on television. He's an exciting talent. He was given the award for the emerging player of the year at this years ICC awards and he comes to Bangladesh on the back of a very good World T20 tournament in Sri Lanka recently. So he's in good form and full of confidence."
"We'll be analysing his variations ahead of the series and I'll be advising the batsmen on what to look for. I feel that Narine's main strength is his control, but the Bangladesh team are very good players of spin and will be looking to unsettle him."
"The young man (Narine) has impressed me greatly in the shorter formats of cricket, but he has to remember that taking wickets in Test cricket will be the real challenge for him and a bowler''s greatness is measured by his performances in the five day format."
Saqlain since his playing days has had a number of coaching spells around the world, including the centre of excellence in Australia and as the spin bowling coach for New Zealand Cricket.
More recently Saqlain signed an initial four-month deal as the spin bowling coach with the Bangladesh Cricket Board and has been working with cricketers in Bangladesh of all ages and levels of experience.
Photograph: Gareth Copley/Getty Images
