June 10, 2003	Tuesday	Rabi-us-Sani 9, 1424

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KARACHI, June 9: Bangladesh’s cricket team needs to set goals and improve its attitude if it does not want be a laughing stock in international cricket, the team’s former Pakistani coach said Monday.

“There is a serious lack of attitude in Bangladesh cricket and if they do not set their goals, cricket will continue to suffer and be mocked by the international community,” Pakistan’s Mohsin Kamal, a former pace bowler who was sacked as Bangladesh coach, told AFP.

He was reacting to the findings of an inquiry by the Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) into the team’s dismal showing in this year’s World Cup in southern Africa.

Bangladesh failed to win a single match despite having two non-Test playing nations — Canada and Kenya — in their group. They have lost 18 of their 19 Tests since winning Test status in 2000.

The BCB inquiry findings announced at the weekend blamed the team’s failure on late nights out, complacency, team politics and inept coaching.

Mohsin, who was sacked as the Bangladesh team’s official coach two months ago, blamed poor player knowledge, bad attitudes and inept officials.

“Their lack of attitude has failed them in learning and improving. Bangladeshi officials must let the policies run the people and not people run the policies and share responsibility for the team’s poor performance,” Mohsin said.

“They have sacked coaches left, right and center which has not allowed anyone to settle.” he claimed.

Mohsin followed West Indian Gordon Greenidge, South African Eddie Barlow and Australian Trevor Chappell as Bangladesh coach in the last four years.

Mohsin’s coaching assistant Ali Zia accused Bangladeshi cricket officials of inefficiency.”The BCB has actually tried to hide their inefficiency by putting the blame on others,” he said.—AFP