MELBOURNE, Aug 7: Bangladesh will be more competitive during their three-Test tour of Pakistan coach Dav Whatmore said after his team’s whitewash by top-ranked Australia.

Whatmore took control of the Bangladesh cricket team in June, leading them to successive innings defeats in last month’s Test series in Australia before the home side scored easy victories in the three-match limited-overs series.

But Bangladesh, who have not won a Test in 21 attempts since gaining Test status three years ago, are approaching the Pakistan series later this month with enthusiasm, Whatmore said.

“I think we’ve got a better chance of gaining confidence with any opposition (other) than (Australia),” Whatmore told reporters.

“I think we will be a bit more competitive against them than Australia. It still won’t be easy, (but) the difference between Pakistan and Australia is fairly sizeable.”

Cricket Australia (CA) eased their congested summer season by hosting the Bangladesh series during the southern winter at two new Test venues, Cairns on Queensland’s tropical far north coast and Northern Territory capital Darwin, where sunshine was guaranteed.

Whatmore, a former Australia Test batsman, has kept a sunny disposition despite criticism of Bangladesh’s place in Test cricket and some schoolboy shot-making from his middle order.

The heavy defeats were to be expected in Australia, he said.

“Basically it’s just an appreciation of relentless pressure from a good opposition,” Whatmore said after Bangladesh lost Wednesday’s third one-day match by 112 runs.

“Different surfaces, from Cairns to Darwin, it didn’t really matter with the Australian team, they played extremely well.”

Australia’s Test vice-captain and one-day skipper Ricky Ponting said the players supported an out-of-season return to the tropics next year for a home series against Sri Lanka.

“When it is relaxed away from the game, it certainly helps all the players perform better,” Ponting told reporters.

“I’ve really enjoyed it and I think if you ask all the guys they’ve enjoyed themselves immensely.

“We’ll go home now and rest up for a little while and make sure we are ready for our next challenge which is Zimbabwe (in October).”

CA operations manager Michael Brown told Melbourne’s Herald Sun on Thursday: “We have taken international cricket to two new parts of Australia and we are thrilled with the result.”—Reuters