Ashraful, a concern for Bangladesh

By Our Correspondent

DHAKA

June 10: Bangladesh cricket has a world-class talent in skipper Mohammad Ashraful. But his inconsistency has become a serious concern, and coach James Siddons has taken a mission to make him more prolific.

Siddons knows, for Bangladesh to do well Ashraful needs to score big. So, he is now in process of bringing back his confidence.

"No more cameos that promise much but deliver little. You have to take responsibility and have to change your style," – is the message from the coach to the skipper and the process has started from this series.

Ashraful’s laboured half-century against Pakistan was enough to raise an eyebrow or two. But Siddons explained why he batted that way.

"Ashraful tends to hit the ball in the air a lot. That’s his natural style. But that Ashraful comes off once or twice in a year. I am looking for someone who makes 50s and 60s quite often," Siddons said.

He added: "For us to become competitive, one needs to lay the foundation while others will rally around him. Ashraful is the man who can control the innings. For this, he needs runs under his belt.