It doesn't get any better than that
Bangladesh vs Australia
- Thread starter Melbourne Red
- Start date
Whatmore upbeat as Aussies arrive
Andrew Miller
April 6, 2006
Dav Whatmore oversees a training session ahead of the first Test © Getty Images
Dav Whatmore, Bangladesh's coach, has envisaged a bright future for his side, but in the meantime promises "to push it as far as we can", as they prepare to take on the mighty Australians in a two-Test and three-one-day series, starting in Fatullah on April 9.
The Australians landed at Dhaka Airport on Thursday morning, fresh from the 3-0 clean sweep in South Africa last week, and Whatmore was under no illusions about the task that lies ahead. "Nothing's really changed in terms of the ICC rankings table," he told Cricinfo on the eve of the series. "We're still No. 10 and they're still No. 1."
Even so, in the three years since Whatmore took charge of the team, Bangladesh cricket has come a long way. His first series as coach was the corresponding tour to Australia in 2003, when two schoolmasterish centuries from Steve Waugh helped put an overawed side firmly in their place.
"There've been three years since we last played each other, and I feel the team's improved a little bit," said Whatmore. "We're playing in our own conditions, and they are going to have to adjust a bit to their last six months in South Africa and Australia. We're very keen to go out there and compete against the No.1 ranked team, knowing that we've played some good teams in the last three years.
Bangladesh's solitary Test series win came against Zimbabwe last year, but Whatmore was happy with the effort his players had been making in the intervening months. "We've put in some encouraging performances in terms of taking the games to the fifth day or late in the fourth day, having leads against the opposition, that sort of stuff," he said. "We'll be playing against a good side, but we're going to try really really hard."
The sense of anticipation surrounding the Australians' arrival has been heightened by memories of that extraordinary NatWest Series victory at Sophia Gardens last year, and Whatmore himself admitted that it was the one-day leg of this tour that was of greatest importance to him.
"After this series against Australia we've got no Test matches for 12 months, so I've got to say, I'm a bit more excited about the one-day game. We're getting a nice little group together, and I can only see it improving in next six to 12 months leading up to the World Cup. That's very important and it keeps me going, knowing that we are heading in the right direction in that form of the game."
Habibul Bashar cools down with a coconut drink © Getty Images
Bangladesh took Sri Lanka to a decider in their recent three-match series, before routing Kenya 4-0, and Whatmore was mindful of the need to manage expectations among a public that has forever been hungry for success. "I'm pretty sure that the people here in Bangladesh will be very appreciative if the boys show a big fight," he said. "If we really show that the opposition has to work hard to win, then the expectation of the public I think will be satisfied. But within the cricket board, the players and the management, we want to push it, push it, push it, as far as we can."
Off the pitch, Bangladesh's development is continuing apace, with the inauguration of five new stadia and the establishment of a national academy. "The infrastructure is coming along," admitted Whatmore. "In broad terms, the domestic competitions are pretty much okay, with a good four-day competition in place, one-day cricket in place, and a Twenty20 tournament in place. We'll need some time to fertilise them and grow them and make them look nice, but I'm pretty sure there'll be a bit more money available next year. The necessary ingredients are here. We just need more time."
That much could equally be said of the national squad, which is benefiting from the identification of a talented crop of youngsters who were among the favourites for the recent Under-19 World Cup. "They played a really bad game in the quarter-final against England, who they had beaten eight times in a row not so long ago," explained Whatmore, "but at the end of the day, they still lost just one match. I'm sure that within six or 12 months, one or two of them will start to filter into the international team."
One of these players, the captain Mushfiqur Rahim, is already flitting around the fringes of the senior side. Having impressed on debut against England at Lord's last summer, he returned for the second Test against Sri Lanka at Bogra last month, but struggling, making 2 and 0. "The Sri Lanka Test was a tough one for him but we won't want to just play one or two games and get rid of him," said Whatmore. "We think he can play the longer game pretty well. He's only just starting off, but he's got good potential."
With the aggressive Shahadat Hossain emerging as a pace spearhead, and the spin pairing of Enamul Haque jr and Mohammad Rafique continuing to impress, the future looks bright for Bangladesh, especially now that their most talented batsman, Mohammad Ashraful, is beginning to make runs when they really count. "He has got tremendous potential - anyone can see that," said Whatmore. "But Ashraful himself will tell you he needs more consistency. He didn't have the best of Kenya series, but hopefully this next one will be more to his liking than Kenya."
All things told, Bangladesh will enter their next challenge with the confidence of a side on the up, and the lessons of last summer lodged firmly in their memory banks. "That tour [of England] was definitely a huge learning experience," stressed Whatmore. "To play in England at the early part of the summer is never an easy time, especially when playing against two good sides. But here we are in our own conditions, and all we can do is give it our best.
"Of course, everyone cares about winning or losing," he concluded, "but so long as you're really putting in your best, nobody can really can get angry. In our case, what is important is that we give our best every time we walk out there, because we can't afford not to."
Andrew Miller
April 6, 2006
Dav Whatmore oversees a training session ahead of the first Test © Getty Images
Dav Whatmore, Bangladesh's coach, has envisaged a bright future for his side, but in the meantime promises "to push it as far as we can", as they prepare to take on the mighty Australians in a two-Test and three-one-day series, starting in Fatullah on April 9.
The Australians landed at Dhaka Airport on Thursday morning, fresh from the 3-0 clean sweep in South Africa last week, and Whatmore was under no illusions about the task that lies ahead. "Nothing's really changed in terms of the ICC rankings table," he told Cricinfo on the eve of the series. "We're still No. 10 and they're still No. 1."
Even so, in the three years since Whatmore took charge of the team, Bangladesh cricket has come a long way. His first series as coach was the corresponding tour to Australia in 2003, when two schoolmasterish centuries from Steve Waugh helped put an overawed side firmly in their place.
"There've been three years since we last played each other, and I feel the team's improved a little bit," said Whatmore. "We're playing in our own conditions, and they are going to have to adjust a bit to their last six months in South Africa and Australia. We're very keen to go out there and compete against the No.1 ranked team, knowing that we've played some good teams in the last three years.
Bangladesh's solitary Test series win came against Zimbabwe last year, but Whatmore was happy with the effort his players had been making in the intervening months. "We've put in some encouraging performances in terms of taking the games to the fifth day or late in the fourth day, having leads against the opposition, that sort of stuff," he said. "We'll be playing against a good side, but we're going to try really really hard."
The sense of anticipation surrounding the Australians' arrival has been heightened by memories of that extraordinary NatWest Series victory at Sophia Gardens last year, and Whatmore himself admitted that it was the one-day leg of this tour that was of greatest importance to him.
"After this series against Australia we've got no Test matches for 12 months, so I've got to say, I'm a bit more excited about the one-day game. We're getting a nice little group together, and I can only see it improving in next six to 12 months leading up to the World Cup. That's very important and it keeps me going, knowing that we are heading in the right direction in that form of the game."
Habibul Bashar cools down with a coconut drink © Getty Images
Bangladesh took Sri Lanka to a decider in their recent three-match series, before routing Kenya 4-0, and Whatmore was mindful of the need to manage expectations among a public that has forever been hungry for success. "I'm pretty sure that the people here in Bangladesh will be very appreciative if the boys show a big fight," he said. "If we really show that the opposition has to work hard to win, then the expectation of the public I think will be satisfied. But within the cricket board, the players and the management, we want to push it, push it, push it, as far as we can."
Off the pitch, Bangladesh's development is continuing apace, with the inauguration of five new stadia and the establishment of a national academy. "The infrastructure is coming along," admitted Whatmore. "In broad terms, the domestic competitions are pretty much okay, with a good four-day competition in place, one-day cricket in place, and a Twenty20 tournament in place. We'll need some time to fertilise them and grow them and make them look nice, but I'm pretty sure there'll be a bit more money available next year. The necessary ingredients are here. We just need more time."
That much could equally be said of the national squad, which is benefiting from the identification of a talented crop of youngsters who were among the favourites for the recent Under-19 World Cup. "They played a really bad game in the quarter-final against England, who they had beaten eight times in a row not so long ago," explained Whatmore, "but at the end of the day, they still lost just one match. I'm sure that within six or 12 months, one or two of them will start to filter into the international team."
One of these players, the captain Mushfiqur Rahim, is already flitting around the fringes of the senior side. Having impressed on debut against England at Lord's last summer, he returned for the second Test against Sri Lanka at Bogra last month, but struggling, making 2 and 0. "The Sri Lanka Test was a tough one for him but we won't want to just play one or two games and get rid of him," said Whatmore. "We think he can play the longer game pretty well. He's only just starting off, but he's got good potential."
With the aggressive Shahadat Hossain emerging as a pace spearhead, and the spin pairing of Enamul Haque jr and Mohammad Rafique continuing to impress, the future looks bright for Bangladesh, especially now that their most talented batsman, Mohammad Ashraful, is beginning to make runs when they really count. "He has got tremendous potential - anyone can see that," said Whatmore. "But Ashraful himself will tell you he needs more consistency. He didn't have the best of Kenya series, but hopefully this next one will be more to his liking than Kenya."
All things told, Bangladesh will enter their next challenge with the confidence of a side on the up, and the lessons of last summer lodged firmly in their memory banks. "That tour [of England] was definitely a huge learning experience," stressed Whatmore. "To play in England at the early part of the summer is never an easy time, especially when playing against two good sides. But here we are in our own conditions, and all we can do is give it our best.
"Of course, everyone cares about winning or losing," he concluded, "but so long as you're really putting in your best, nobody can really can get angry. In our case, what is important is that we give our best every time we walk out there, because we can't afford not to."
Bangladesh should be stripped of Test status. They're fecking up all the stats.
Slabber said:
I agree.
Sri Lanka were a lot better when they granted test status in 1981. Sure they were wank, but not this bad. You'd think a country with the population of Bangladesh would be able to put a team together, better than the likes of Sikkim and Bhutan.
In 40 matches over 5 years?
Nah.
Nah.
Spoony said:
It's not easy playing on flooded pitches.
Bangladesh deserve their Test status - Ponting
Cricinfo staff
April 8, 2006
'Maybe Bangladesh having Test status will take the game forward' - Ricky Ponting © Getty Images
Having earlier questioned Bangladesh's Test status, Ricky Ponting went into damage control mode on Thursday, saying that Bangladesh is "improving gradually and they deserve their Test status.
"Looking back, I think I was wrong with what I said," Ponting said, addressing a press conference at Sonargaon Hotel in Dhaka on the eve of the first of the two Tests against Bangladesh. "I think I was speaking from an ideal world point of view, and not putting much [emphasis] into the growth of the game in world cricket, that is where I made the mistake. Maybe Bangladesh having Test status will take the game forward because that's what it is all about.
"We just like to think that Bangladesh will keep improving, that their cricket will keep improving and the infrastructure and facilities here in this country will keep improving and that will give them the best chance of being a good international team in the future."
These latest comments are an abrupt about-turn from what he said in February. Back then he told London's Daily Telegraph,"What I would not have is the minnow nations in the World Cup and the Champions Trophy, and I would not have Bangladesh and Zimbabwe playing Tests at present." As a result of these words, Cricket Australia had to issue a statement in support of Bangladesh playing Test cricket.
Asked about the ODI defeat against Bangladesh last year, Ponting said: "There is a little bit of luck involved in the one-day game. But, I don't envisage a repeat performance."
Dav Whatmore, Bangladesh's coach, said his side had the potential to become the top team on the subcontinent. "Sri Lanka is a small island, the population about the same as Australia, and they became the leaders of cricket in the subcontinent. In Bangladesh, there's so much potential. All the ingredients are there."
He expressed happiness over Australia's selection of a full-strength team, saying it was a sign of respect for his young side. "I would like Australia to treat us seriously. If the little guys are starting to show a little bit, they'll flex their muscles a little bit, which is what we expect. I am very, very pleased that the full squad was selected. That's a bit of respect, I think."
He's a cricketing intellectual Punter
Cricinfo staff
April 8, 2006
'Maybe Bangladesh having Test status will take the game forward' - Ricky Ponting © Getty Images
Having earlier questioned Bangladesh's Test status, Ricky Ponting went into damage control mode on Thursday, saying that Bangladesh is "improving gradually and they deserve their Test status.
"Looking back, I think I was wrong with what I said," Ponting said, addressing a press conference at Sonargaon Hotel in Dhaka on the eve of the first of the two Tests against Bangladesh. "I think I was speaking from an ideal world point of view, and not putting much [emphasis] into the growth of the game in world cricket, that is where I made the mistake. Maybe Bangladesh having Test status will take the game forward because that's what it is all about.
"We just like to think that Bangladesh will keep improving, that their cricket will keep improving and the infrastructure and facilities here in this country will keep improving and that will give them the best chance of being a good international team in the future."
These latest comments are an abrupt about-turn from what he said in February. Back then he told London's Daily Telegraph,"What I would not have is the minnow nations in the World Cup and the Champions Trophy, and I would not have Bangladesh and Zimbabwe playing Tests at present." As a result of these words, Cricket Australia had to issue a statement in support of Bangladesh playing Test cricket.
Asked about the ODI defeat against Bangladesh last year, Ponting said: "There is a little bit of luck involved in the one-day game. But, I don't envisage a repeat performance."
Dav Whatmore, Bangladesh's coach, said his side had the potential to become the top team on the subcontinent. "Sri Lanka is a small island, the population about the same as Australia, and they became the leaders of cricket in the subcontinent. In Bangladesh, there's so much potential. All the ingredients are there."
He expressed happiness over Australia's selection of a full-strength team, saying it was a sign of respect for his young side. "I would like Australia to treat us seriously. If the little guys are starting to show a little bit, they'll flex their muscles a little bit, which is what we expect. I am very, very pleased that the full squad was selected. That's a bit of respect, I think."
He's a cricketing intellectual Punter
Slabber said:
Underwater cricket.
They'd be great at that.
Melbourne Red said:
Spoony said:
I've been to Dhaka once. The Bangladeshi fans are more knowledgable and more passionate about the sport than the English fans.
I went to the zoo and talked to the gibbons about cricket and they were more knowledgable than Vijay.
That brought out a snigger.Slabber said:
Sikkim isn't a country you knobrain spooner.Spoony said:
I didn't say it was a country, boss.
Isn't knobrain funny?I'm pretty sure someone would've thought of it though.Double entendre and all...
God I keep laughing when I look at Slabber's last post in this thread.
By the way, set to get beat tomorrow?
God I keep laughing when I look at Slabber's last post in this thread.
By the way, set to get beat tomorrow?
Gibbons are cool.
Mine's cooler.
Mine can do chin ups.
Poof.Mine's a trapeze artist.
Gibbontard.
"Female gibbons weigh nearly the same as males and have similar-sized canines. H. concolor, hoolock, and pileatus have sexually dimorphic coat colors, and all species but hoolock have sexually dimorphic vocal repertoires Males and females without sex-specific coloration are hard to distinguish by sight if the female is not carring an infant or if, as is often the case, the observer cannot get a close and clear enough view to spot enlarged nipples or parapenal hair tufts"
"Male and female gibbons mature at similar rates and appear to pair at 8 to 10 years of age. Females first menstruate at around 8 years of age"
Well what do you know, horny feckers.
"Male and female gibbons mature at similar rates and appear to pair at 8 to 10 years of age. Females first menstruate at around 8 years of age"
Well what do you know, horny feckers.
Actually I changed my mind.
Baboons are the real deal.
Slabber said:
The Gibbons usually communicate among themselves, by letting out apprehensive cries and the signal puts them in a cognitive state of knowledge similar to that of the communicating Gibbon.
So you managed to communicate with Gibbons... It should've been in your genes
Bangladesh are 162/1
MacGill hasn't even been given a bowl yet.
MacGill hasn't even been given a bowl yet.
Slabber said:
Bangladesh 196-1
214/1
Nafees on 109.
Nafees on 109.
What the bejesus is going on here?
Flat pitch + Fat Shane = Aus Pain.
237/1
237/1
The aussie attack is getting flayed
294-3
Going at over four an over.
Going at over four an over.
Finished at 5/355.
I missed all but the last hour and a half due to work.
If I had a cat, I'd kick it right into the fecking wall.
I missed all but the last hour and a half due to work.
If I had a cat, I'd kick it right into the fecking wall.
Billy said:
The pitch is turning square, there's plenty in it for the bowlers.
Fortunately Warney had a terrible day and Ponting, being slightly retarded at the best of times, chose not to bowl McGill until the second session.
Good to see Warne getting hammered all over the pitch
Slabber said:
A gibbon just called from the zoo. The word is Shane Warne agrees with you Slabber!
I've always rated Bangladeshi cricket.
Thought I clarify my position.
Thought I clarify my position.
Australia are 79/5
Gilchrist, their last recognised batsman, is at the crease with Shane Warne.
Gilchrist, their last recognised batsman, is at the crease with Shane Warne.
Bangladesh > India
Goa>EnglandSlabber said: