By Martin Gough

Whatmore combines communication skills with Test experience

After a run of defeats almost unparalleled in international cricket history, there is only one man to whom Bangladesh could turn in the hope of improvement.

Step forward Davenell Frederick Whatmore.

Since their subsequently-questioned victory over Pakistan during the 1999 World Cup, Bangladesh have endured a record winless streak in one-day cricket.

Thursday's loss to South Africa in Dhaka was their 41st consecutive match without success.

They were responsible for knocking West Indies out of the 2003 World Cup, but only because their match in Benoni was abandoned because of rain.

With errant medium-pace bowling and cavalier batting, they even lost to non-Test sides Kenya and Canada.

Granted Test status in 2001, they have proved former coach Gordon Greenidge correct in his assertion that they were not ready for cricket at the highest level, losing 16 of 17 matches with one wash-out.

Greenidge paid for his honesty, on the same day as that last one-day win, with his job, and there have been plenty of successors, but no successes, since.

There are some boys there who have got some real talent Whatmore on Bangladesh

Former South Africa batsman Eddie Barlow led the side in the build-up to their first Test, until a brain haemorrhage left him unable to continue in the role.

Sarwar Imran was in charge when the hosts gained some credit from a loss to India in their inaugural Test and is currently coaching the side during their home stand against India and South Africa.

In between there was Australian Trevor Chappell, dismissed after claims of a language barrier between him and the team, and Pakistani Mohsin Kamal, who was sacked after the World Cup.

Sri Lanka were not in quite such a dire position when Whatmore became coach in 1995, but he was the man responsible for dragging an lesser nation into cricket's mainstream.

Colombo-born but Australia-bred, Whatmore combined a thoroughly modern approach to the game and affinity with the players.

A revolutionary approach to batting, using the explosive talents at the side's disposal, brought victory in the 1996 World Cup.

WHATMORE'S RECORD PLAYER Victoria 1975-89 6116 first-class runs at 33.97 Australia 1978-80 7 Tests: 293 runs at 22.53 1 ODI: 2 runs COACH Sri Lanka 1995-96 World Cup 1996 Lancashire 1997-99 NatWest Trophy, National League 1998 Sri Lanka 1999-2003 Asian Test Championship 2002 Nine consecutive Test wins 2001-02 World Cup semi-finalists 2003

And it was an indicator of how far the side had come that a loss in the 2003 semi-finals was seen as failure by the fans at home.

Sri Lanka now find themselves with the same dilemma that Bangladesh suffered.

Do they hire an expensive foreign coach who may not be able to communicate with the players or a local man inexperienced at the highest level?

Whatmore offered the best of both, and will look to take a similar approach in his new role.

"You will agree that there are some boys there who have got some real talent," he said on confirming his appointment.

"But to bring that talent out on a consistent basis, and get supporting talent from other players, will take a little bit of time.

"I feel they have more of a defeatist attitude than anything else.

"What we need to do is change that base attitude before anything else happens."

Sri Lanka are still not an unqualified success - Whatmore admits their performance away from home was a bugbear for him.

But their move under their plan-spoken coach from international also-rans to the top echelon suggests a light at the end of the tunnel for the newest Test nation.