Darwin: Bangladesh coach Jamie Siddons has challenged his side to show more consistency and trouble the world's best teams on a more regular basis.
Siddons, who was a prolific batsman in Australian first-class cricket for many years but never played at the top level, was speaking here Friday as his team prepared for a three-match one-day series against world champions Australia.
The series, which will be played on drop-in wickets prepared in Queensland, was scheduled as a warm-up for the now-postponed Champions Trophy.
Despite being without captain Ricky Ponting, opener Matthew Hayden and speedster Brett Lee, the home side is expected to be far too good.
Bangladesh can take some heart from an upset win over Australia in Cardiff in 2005, when Siddons was an assistant coach for the Australians, but he said it was time Bangladesh became a respected foe in international cricket.
Siddons said his team had shown it could upset the best in the world, but with just 40 wins in 184 one-day internationals they needed to do so far more often.
"We always talk about the fact that we have a win here, we have a win there," he said.
"We're trying to be more consistently competitive. Snatching a win here and snatching a win there is not what I'm about in the future, it's about being consistent.
"Coming to Australia and everyone knowing that we can be competitive, not asking 'Do you think you might win a game?'
"'How many games are you going to win?' is what I want people to ask."
Bangladesh has won just one of its last 12 one-day internationals, and that was against the United Arab Emirates.
Not since April 2007 at the World Cup, when they upset South Africa by 67 runs, have they beaten one of the premier sides in world cricket, with 24 losses in succession against Test-playing nations.
Michael Clarke, who will lead Australia in the absence of Ponting, said the Australians would not be taking their opponents lightly.
"As soon as you take things for granted I think you find yourself asking questions why you've lost that game," he said.
AFP
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