BCB to announce new coach coach by June two

Dhaka, May 24 (UNI) Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) is all set to appoint a new coach for their national team on June two from one of the big names 'Down Under'.

Talking to UNI, BCB joint-secretary Rafiqul Islam said, ''We shall appoint a coach from either Australia or New Zealand by June 2.'' With Dav Whatmore set to leave after this series, Bangladesh is pressing hard to find a new coach.

The conditions are simple. He has to be a man who can carry forward Bangladesh progress, comes with a reputation of being a methodist and can gel well with the team without having any false ego.

John Wright was the first choice for the standards he set with the Indian team four years back. He is low profile. Gels well with all. Does not speak out of turn and can inspire the side in quite but stern ways.

But since Wright is not available as he is taking the job of club coaching, the coach selection committee is looking at other possibilities.

Asked to name the coaches in the race, Islam said, ''I can't for obvious reasons. There is a difficulty.

''We are following the Cricket Australia model for development of our youngsters. And we will get either an Australian coach or a coach from New Zealand and in all purposes he will accompany the team to Sri Lanka.'' ''If we by chance fail to appoint that coach we will go for an interim arrangement and may consider someone from the youth development programme here or from India,'' he said.

On his take on an understanding with India in this regard, the joint secretary said, ''Not as of now, but something may come up on future.'' Apart from a head coach, the Board is also looking for support staff and the names of two West Indian greats Gordon Greenidge and Andy Roberts are doing the rounds as the batting and bowling coaches.

Incidentally it was Roberts who has shaped Mashrafee Mortaza in his early days.

With a view to groom the nation's cricketers in all kinds of pitches so as to enable them to face any condition, Islam informed that the Mirpur ground was specially prepared under the guidance of West Australia curator Richard Winter.

''We want to have all kinds of pitches. Some fast and bouncy and some turning. The idea is to have the players ready for any condition,'' he said.

''In the last one and half years we have won 28 of the 47 ODIs we have played. This is a significant improvement and we plan to keep the momentum going,'' he added.

UNI