KARACHI // Jamie Siddons, the Bangladesh coach, admits their success at last year's World Cup was a false dawn for Asia's lowest ranked Test side. International cricket is starting to lose patience with Bangladesh, who have proved to be a long way out of their depth yet again at the Asia Cup. They knocked India out of the World Cup in the Caribbean, then beat South Africa in the second round. It was widely hoped that represented their coming of age in international cricket.
However, Siddons said: "We won a couple of games at the World Cup and made the Super Eight, but I don't think it was our time. I don't think it was a real sign of improvement. "I see us a day in and a day out. I have seen is a couple of wins in the World Cup - but I see all the defeats as well. All the losses before that, and all the losses since. "It has mostly been due to our batting, but in this tournament we have made 300, 280, 220 and I have seen massive improvements.
"It is a very young team - different to the team that played in the World Cup. We have young guys making hundreds and it is not about [the captain Mohammed] Ashraful any more. "We can make 280 without Ashraful making a run. I'm excited by Raqibul Hasan, Alok Kopali, Saqibul Hasan. We have got some really good talent, but it is going to take a little bit of time." @Email:pradley@thenational.ae
