Siddons targets Test improvement

Jamie Siddons, Bangladesh's new coach, has laid emphasis on the team's improvement in Test matches as his major aim in the coming months. After being a unlikely candidate to replace Dav Whatmore as the national coach, Siddons, an assistant coach with Australia, confirmed his two-year appointment with Bangladesh earlier this week.

"I've got some visions for the team. Everything we do will be towards improving the team and see it gets better day by day," Siddons said. "The ideas I have will provide an opportunity to start my philosophy and coaching techniques with the side."

Although Bangladesh have beaten Australia, South Africa, India and Pakistan in ODIs, their Test record remains unimpressive with only a solitary victory - that too over Zimbabwe - to show from the 49 Tests they have played since their entry into the Test arena in 2000.

Siddons, stressing upon consistency especially with the batting, termed his tenure with Bangladesh "a great challenge" and was hopeful the team would put in better performances with him around. "Hopefully, they [Bangladesh] will be a better outfit, play some good cricket and win some matches."

The Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB), while echoing their batsmen's lack of application, were thrilled to have Siddons as the coach.

"Batting is our weak area. Siddons was a very good batsman and we hope our batting improves significantly under him," Gazi Ashraf Hossain Lipu, BCB's operations chief, said. "Our cricket has been suffering from inconsistencies for long. We hope he can fix it up."

Siddons is due to take over the side on November 25, only a month before Bangladesh's tour of New Zealand comprising two Tests and three ODIs before hosting South Africa in February.