Rawalpindi, Sept 17: The Bangladesh cricket team must significantly lift its game if it is to continue competing in international competition, coach Dav Whatmore said ahead of tomorrow's fourth one-day cricket match against Pakistan. Pakistan took a decisive 3-0 lead in the five-match series against the visitors at Lahore with a 42-run victory on Monday.

"They (Bangladesh players) have to pull up their socks if they want to extend their international careers," Whatmore said today. Bangladesh top order batsmen have failed to give their side a strong start with Mohammad Ashraful failing miserably in three innings as opener with the scores of 0, 3 and 0.
Pakistan Captain Inzamam-ul-Haq said Bangladesh has showed tremendous signs of improvement, but the pressure of chasing over five runs-an-over was always difficult for the visitors.

"It's always difficult to chase over 250 if a team loses early wickets and that's the main reason that Bangladesh has struggled in the one-day series," Inzamam said. Inzamam predicted his team would not make the Bangladesh team's task any easier for the fourth one-dayer.
"We are playing well as a unit and I see no reason why we should not continue the winning sequence going," he said.

Inzamam has so far won all three one-day tosses against Bangladesh captain Khaled Mahmud and on each occasion he preferred to bat first.

Bureau Report