Siddons sees 'merit' in multiple-captaincy idea

Jamie Siddons, the Bangladesh coach, has said that he sees merit in John Buchanan's multiple-captaincy idea and that he had a similar sort of plan for his team to take the pressure off the current captain Mohammad Ashraful.

"I have a similar sort of plan for our boys too," Siddons told the Daily Star. "I do see some merit in it; maybe it helps to take some pressure off Ashraful, maybe if Shakib [Al Hasan] and Mashrafe [Mortaza] could share a bit of responsibilities. I see a bit of merit in it, because of our skipper's inexperience, but it needs the board's approval and we haven't got that yet.

"We have a good leadership group. There is enough pressure in the team like talking to you guys [journalists] after every win or loss. So if we go for multiple captaincy, that can help Ashraful because some pressure will be taken off him."

Ashraful and Mortaza are currently in South Africa with for the Indian Premier League. Ashraful is part of the Mumbai Indians squad while Mortaza is with the Kolkata Knight Riders. Neither player, however, has played a game yet because the franchises are allowed to field only four overseas players in a XI. Siddons said he had been watching the IPL to observe the players Bangladesh were likely to encounter at the World Twenty20 in June.

"I'm looking more at the Indian players and the other world players and maybe looking for their weaknesses. I haven't been looking at Ash [Ashraful] and Mash [Mortaza] and didn't have a chance to," Siddons said. "If they get a game or two, I'm sure they will become a part of the team. I know there is a lot of competition within their teams."

Siddons was happy with the national players performance in the Premier Division Cricket League. "I think it was in the Super League that the cream started to come out of the milk," he said. "That is our national players started showing that they were the better players in the league. They were making 100s and picking up wickets and I was particularly happy with Ashraful's performance. They probably should have dominated the early part of the league lot more but I'm happy that they played good cricket by the end of the tournament."