Bangladesh will be better cricketing team: Siddons

FE Team | Published: November 01, 2007 00:00:00 | Updated: February 01, 2018 00:00:00

Newly appointed national coach Jamie Siddons Wednesday expressed his hope that Bangladesh would emerge as a better cricketing team in near future and win matches, reports UNB.
"Bangladesh will play some good cricket in the upcoming days and win matches," the 43-year-old former assistant coach of Australia told a press conference at the Mirpur Sher-e-Bangla National Stadium.
Replying to a query, he said his main focus would be to make the players familiar with his coaching techniques and his philosophy.
BCB cricket operations committee chairman Gazi Ashraf Hossain Lipu and Media and Communications Committee chairman Ahmed Sajjadul Alam Bobby were present at the press conference.
Earlier Tuesday evening, Siddons signed a two-year deal with the country's apex sporting body.
Asked where he could take the team during his two-year tenure, the Aussie coach said he has got some visions for improving the team performance as he thinks it is one of the lowly ranked countries.
About his personal records, the shaven headed coach said, "I played 1st class cricket or associated with 1st class cricket in Australia for about 23 years, worked as assistant coach for five years. I took over the job for myself, it's my lifetime goal."
He told a questioner that he does not know much about the players of the Bangladesh team. "I'll have to go through their statistics and video footages in the next three weeks. There are some very good players but they're inconsistent. That's one thing we have to address."
About his supporting staff with whom he will work, Siddons said, "I' ve made some recommendations and the Board has approved those. We just need to put the right people in places."
The Australian coach also showed keen interest to be part of the players' selection panel, saying, " I'm very keen to be part on the selection panel. But I haven't really discussed with the selectors yet. Hopefully, I'll do that very soon."
Board member Lipu, who did not disclose the financial aspect of the contract, said they signed the dead considering the present status of Siddons who recently acted as the assistant coach of the one-day World Champions.
But sources said the new national coach would receive a handsome remuneration of $0.3 million a year.
Asked what they expect from the Aussie coach, Lipu said, "It's simple. We want to get a batting-oriented coach and we've got that.
Our team is suffering from (batting) inconsistency and we want to come out of that."
Lipu, also a member of the coach-searching panel, said they would try to appoint the supporting staff (bowling coach, fielding coach, physio, trainer) as per the suggestion of the new coach.
He also assured that the opinion of the national coach would get preference in the selection panel.
Siddons leaves here for home tonight (Wednesday night) and will return in the third week of November to take over charge of the Bangladesh team.
Siddons, considered as Australia's top first class batsmen, represented his country only once when he made 32 in an ODI against Pakistan at Lahore in 1988 but continued to score prolifically at the first class-level making 11,581 runs until his retirement in 2000.
He also acted as a senior coach at the Centre of Excellence before the 2005 Ashes.