Dave Whatmore Bangladesh Cricket team Coach on Bangladesh team

“We would like to approach the start of the matches differently here. Against New Zealand, you know, you saw when our top order failed, we were somewhat lost. As the matches progressed, we lost focus on the different goals over day 1, day 2, day 3, day 4, and it became a very difficult job to come back into the game. So, what we wanna do is to improve, you know, the initial part of each of the Test matches, to be ready for, to be ready for the competition, and.. and to be much more competitive”


“If there is an area where we would like very much more consistency here, that’s with the batting. We understand that every batsman can not get runs, all the time, but we would like a bit more consistency shown by our top and middle order, in playing (both the) Test match cricket and One Day cricket. So, if there is one area where I would like more consistency it’s with the batting. And, with their bowling and fielding they have shown pretty good advancement and progress. When we go out to ball, we go out to ball and get ten wickets. And they have achieved that much. And the fielding is coming along also…we’ve got a bit more consistency in that one area.”


“It’s in this question, I mean, the inability to make the right decisions, that’s causing the indiscretions. We’ve got the talents, we’ve got the ability, we’ve got the skills, got the techniques… it’s the.. unfortunately…wrong decisions..that result in errors.. which in turn result in dismissals.” (Obviously, it’s our batsmen’s shot selection problem he’s talking about)


“We haven’t had a specialist (batting) coach this time because there has been a lot of domestic cricket being played…which I think is Ok… even though it’s fifty overs... but they get match practice. We’ve employed a new fitness manager,(Dave must be referring to the new Physio Mr. Stuart Karappinen, recently appointed by BCB)..for the national players.. he comes multi multi skilled..because he’s helped others in the Shefield Shield cricket in Australia, and has studied a little bit of .. you know the biomechanics and the movements. His efficiency with all these things has been very helpful actually with the bowlers. He’s only been here a month or so, but I can see some terrific benefits in the future with him. So, no, no specialist batting coach, but we’re learning a little bit with the multi-skill cricketing info that he’s been able to provide us, some very useful information…”


“If the selectors feel that way, it will be more and more in the longer game than the.. than the shorter game.”

“Well, they’ve done very well, I’ve gotta’ say, they are improving vastly, they have done all the things well on the field”

“Everything that can be done, is being done by the cricket board, we’re getting some very good cooperation from that point of view. There are not always the things we would like (to have), but we are getting very good cooperation.”

Both Faruk and Dav remembered our G.M. Bashar from the West Indies series. I must say, Faruk’s open, thorough, and thoughtful responses made me understand and appreciate many aspects of the much controversial selection process. I can’t wait to share it with all of you soon. I have to express my special thanks to Faruk’s younger brother Nadeem Ahmed for arranging the interviews.