Daily Star Monday, April 11, 2011 At the Sher-e-Bangla National Stadium yesterday, it was all about "yesterday" although a match was to be played "tomorrow". It was clear that answers were to be given, or found, on what exactly the team management thought of Saturday's abject performance with the bat.
Some brutal truths awaited to be told and Jamie Siddons, the head coach, did not hide his displeasure at the Tigers batsmen's meek surrender in the first one-day international against Australia.
The home side made only 210-5 from 50 overs after Australia had set them a target of 271 runs. After losing three wickets by the 13th over, skipper Shakib Al Hasan and his deputy Tamim Iqbal added 67 runs for the fourth wicket but they scored at less than four an over and after Tamim's dismissal, the Shakib-Mushfiqur Rahim partnership yielded just 33 runs from 67 balls with the required rate climbing. Between overs 30 and 40, the Tigers scored only 32 runs, resulting in the run-rate jumping from 7.5 per over to 12.3 runs an over.
Siddons was particularly unhappy about this period, confirming that he too believed the Tigers had in fact given up much before they reached the 50th over.
"At about the 35th over, definitely. We went too slowly in the middle but we lost three wickets in a real hurry," said Siddons during yesterday's optional training session in Mirpur.
"I think it is unacceptable. You can't make 270 when you have that sort of score.
"Shakib didn't really have a lot of answers for me why they went so slow, other than the wicket was very difficult. I didn't like the running between wickets, didn't like them walking between wickets.
"We had three guys score runs and that's a good improvement. We got 200 but we should have used up our ten wickets and got 240 and given 270 a chase. I was disappointed in that. Don't think I was supportive of Tamim and Shakib," he added.
He also revealed that the moment a message was sent off to Shakib, he was caught in the deep for 51 off 89 balls, his team at 149 for five in 41.1 overs.
"I tend to try to let them grow and learn as captain and vice-captain, and didn't want to send messages out there; as soon as I sent a message out, Shakib got caught at long on the next ball. So that's my fear: as soon as I say hit the odd boundary, get the ones but hit the odd boundary, that [a dismissal] happens, so I tend to stay away from it," he said.
He pointed out the fifth wicket partnership's inability to find the boundaries when all that was required for them was to find one every over.
"Mushfiqur and Shakib followed on from Shakib and Tamim and didn't score enough boundaries. We ended up 60 runs short which probably is a bit disappointing with only five wickets gone, no doubt," he said.
Another point of contention was the selection of Mashrafe Bin Mortaza who admitted before the game of being not fit enough. Siddons said that the lack of pace clearly showed how he was faring, fitness-wise.
"When Mash is fit he bowls around 135 so that should tell it all," he said. "I think Mash survived yesterday on his skills, experience and big heart. So something's missing and I've talked to Mash about it yesterday and we need to have a selection meeting today. But Mash I thought besides the last two overs was very good," said Siddons, adding that he would be retained if he's still fit.
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