September 27 Friday 2002
BD lack correct mental approach, says coach 

JOHANNESBURG: Bangladesh, on the losing side in 12 of their 13 Tests, have talent but are not yet mentally tough enough, coach Mohsin Kamal said on Thursday. "Bangladesh have the talent, but they have yet to show the required capability on the field," Kamal said on the team's arrival for a two-Test tour. 

"We're lacking in guts and aggression. My job is to identify those mentally tough enough to play at this level." 

Bangaldesh suffered heavy defeats at the Champions Trophy in Sri Lanka to Australia and New Zealand. They were dismissed for 77 by New Zealand in Colombo on Monday, their second lowest total in 55 one-day internationals. 

"It is an opportunity for our boys to improve and play better cricket," team manager Abu Sharis Mahmood Faruque told a news conference. 

"We are keen to play against one of the best sides in the world." Faruque said rain affected cricket for seven months of the year in Bangladesh and national squads had to be selected from a small pool of about 60 players. 

Bangladesh: Al-Shahriar, Tapas Baishya, Habibul Bashar, Anwar Hossain, Sanwar Hossain, Tushar Imran, Manjurul Islam, Rafiqul Islam, Talha Jubair, Alok Kapali, Khaled Mahmud, Khaled Mashud (captain), Javed Omar, Mohammad Rafique, Hannan Sarkar.