Whatmore predicts Durham debacle

In the aftermath of their humiliation in the first Test at Lord's, Bangladesh's coach, Dav Whatmore, has predicted that more misery lies ahead in the second Test at the Riverside, which begins this Friday.

Whatmore, who cut a disconsolate figure as he raked over a succession of batting and fielding disasters at Lord's, predicted a greener, more alien surface at Chester-le-Street, and feared that the worst could yet be to come, against an England attack that was pumped up by the ease of their opening victory.

"You might think things couldn't get any worse, but we fully expect the Durham Test to be harder," Whatmore told the BBC Sport website. "England's confidence is even further elevated while we have to pick up the pieces. If they prepare a wicket that's a bit sporty it's going to be extremely difficult."

Although he was disappointed with his team's performance, Whatmore emphasised that there was a time and a place for in-house criticism. "We're not getting too emotional," he said. "I have been known to really give it to the players, but my stomach tells me when the time is right to do that and this is not the time. Right now I have to encourage them rather than yell at them."

Whatmore singled out one or two of his players for limited praise, including Mashrafe Mortaze, who bowled with heart for his two wickets, and Khaled Mashud, whose second-innings 44 was their highest score of the match. "We're trying very hard to focus purely in the areas that we messed up in," he said, "mainly in the batting."

And Whatmore concluded: "I'm very impressed with the home attack. They've got a group of guys that will just go at it all the time with a lot of spirit. But I have my own players to think about first and foremost."