JAIPUR: Habibul Bashar presented a sorry figure the other night after capitulating to the West Indies. Accepting one defeat after another as part of the unending learning process has left the Bangladesh skipper in an embarrassing position.

There seems to be no light at the end of the tunnel. These are the most testing times for Bangladesh cricket. Employing a World Cup winning coach, Dav Whatmore, has not made any significant impact on a side that continues to explore ways to improve.

National selectors draw bigger salaries than the players in Bangladesh. The contracted selectors reportedly receive takas 90,000 while a top bracket player is paid takas 60,000 a month. Infrastructure has remained stagnant over the years but not the quality of first-class cricket as Bangladesh grapples to put up a decent combination in the international arena.

Contentious selections

Seniors have yielded place to newcomers, some have quit and some await a comeback, but success has remained elusive. Contentious selections have continued to baffle the average cricket fan, who has gradually come to believe that his team has a long way to go before making an impact among the elite.

Mohammad Rafique is the seniormost member of the squad. At 40, he is best qualified to take stock of the situation. He concedes, "We had realised early that competing at the international level was very difficult. Only experience would help. We were timid and overawed when we came to international cricket but we don't look at it that way. We know that whoever plays better on that day will win."

It is just that such moments have been rare when Bangladesh would have played to its potential.

From a team once considered dangerous floaters, Zimbabwe has now been reduced to also-rans. A pity, considering the efforts of stalwarts like Dave Houghton, Andy Flower and Heath Streak in building its cricketing fortunes. They lie in a shambles.

The teams (from):

Bangladesh: Habibul Bashar (captain), Shahriar Nafees, Mohammad Ashraful, Aftab Ahmed, Farhad Reza, Saqibul Hasan, Mehrab Hossain (Jr), Khaled Mashud, Mohammad Rafique, Mashrafe Bin Mortaza, Abdur Razzak, Syed Rasel, Shahadat Hossain and Rajin Saleh.

Zimbabwe: Prosper Utseya (captain), Stuart Matsikenyeri, Hamilton Masakadza, Piet Rinke, Brendan Taylor, Elton Chigumbura, Chamunorua Chibhabha, Gregory Strydom, Tawanda Mupariya, Edward Rainsford, Anthony Ireland, Tafadzwa Kamungozi, Terrence Duffin and

Tafadzwa Mufambisi.

Umpires: Messrs Steve Bucknor and Daryl Harper; Third umpire: Simon Taufel; Fourth umpire: Billy Bowden; Match Referee: Ranjan Madugalle.

Hours of play: 2.30 p.m. to 6 p.m.; 6.45 p.m. onwards.

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