Lloyd Believes Bangladesh Can Shine

[nasifkhan]

Lloyd Believes Bangladesh Can Shine

Former West Indies captain Clive Lloyd has warned England that Bangladesh might not be the easy touch critics assume them to be this winter.

Lloyd, now an International Cricket Council match referee, has seen the minnows twice this year in his officiating role, during a one-day triangular series which also included India and South Africa and a home Test series against the latter country.

There have been calls for the 10th and latest Test nation to be demoted from the highest level, given their record since admission in 2001.

They have lost 23 of their 24 matches and the draw in that sequence was achieved against Zimbabwe when the final two days were washed out by the Dhaka weather.

However, their recent series in Pakistan might have delivered a breakthrough success when, first at Peshawar, and then Multan, where they eventually succumbed by one wicket, they held the whip hand only to relinquish it.

"Bangladesh might not be the pushovers people might think," said Lloyd. "They did very well against Pakistan and that will give them impetus for the near future.

"They will be playing at home, are better on their own pitches and have one or two good little cricketers around.

"Once they get the infrastructure right and get the players coming through they could be a good side within five years.

"We have to stick with them, it would really look like we didn't know what we were doing if we threw them out and that would not augur well for international cricket."

As Michael Vaughan's men will find, the streets of Dhaka and Chittagong are similar to those of Delhi or Karachi; littered with children playing the game.

Therein lies the promise but tapping into the pool of talent will take time, which is why Lloyd was an advocate of loaning Bangladesh two overseas players - Australians, for example, who could not make their own national side but would be good enough to play Test cricket for other countries - to enhance the competitive edge in the present.

"With a team like Bangladesh you should be able to give them two overseas players to give them that impetus," said Lloyd. "Had we done that in this last Test series they could have won two Test matches and that would have given them a real lift.

"We have to help them in all aspects of their game; make sure their domestic cricket is well-organised or get the best cricketers to play in Calcutta which is only half-an-hour away from where they are.

"That would help gather the experience needed, playing in a stronger environment."

Bangladesh remind Lloyd of the Sri Lankans when they were introduced to the world stage in the early 1980s.

Ironically, the man who transformed their talent into on-field success, former Australian international Dav Whatmore, took over as coach of the Bangladeshis earlier this year.

Lloyd added: "Sri Lanka were low for a while but they eventually grasped what Test cricket was all about, now they have a better system, more grounds and their domestic cricket is pretty good.

"If Bangladesh continue getting beaten for the next three years it is irrelevant if they are good enough to compete in five. And their recent performances against Australia - the world's top team - meant games went to the fourth and fifth day.

"Sri Lanka played one-off Tests, then two-match series here, the odd two there and before too long were winning three-Test series, so we have to give them some time."

Source "sportinglife.com"

[reinausagi]

Clive Lloyd has always been a respected figure. Pity, Viv Richards got a knighthood, and Clive got a high five on retirement.

[paco]

I would rather not have Bangladesh play any cricket than play with borrowed players.

This is a ridiculous idea to the extreme. The only thing this would potentially achieve is produce temporarily results that won't have any long term effects. If Mark Waugh plays for Bangladesh, how is that going to better the infrastructure ? Sri Lanka, India, WI, Pakistan et al seems to have done well without borrowed players, on the other hand, look at likes of UAE/Scotland/Canada whose team mostly comprise of borrowed players ..