Positive about Tigers' future

There has been a lot of talk about the state of Bangladesh cricket's pipeline and Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) president Nazmul Hassan's assertion after the national team's two-Test debacle in West Indies that the seniors are not keen to play Test cricket has only intensified the concern.

The Bangladesh A team has just concluded an important series at home against Sri Lanka A as the third and series-deciding match abandoned due to rain at the Sylhet International Cricket Stadium yesterday with the teams sharing the series 1-1.

The home side clinched a close two-run win in the first game before the visitors rode on player of the series and captain Thisarar Perera's blistering hundred in the second match.

Simon Helmot, the coach of the Bangladesh A team, was disappointed by the third game being washed out but was proud of the performance of his players in the series.

 "Very disappointed because we had an opportunity to win the series. The most pleasing thing is that Bangladesh were actually in the winning position in all the three one-day matches. I am very proud of the players and pleased the way we have played as Sri Lanka are quite an experienced side as far as matches played, compared to our players," Helmot told The Daily Star yesterday.

Bangladesh had however lost the three-match four-day series 1-0, with the home side succumbing to an innings-and-38-run defeat in the third game after the first two matches ended in draws.

The 46-year-old was however looking at the positives from the longer-version series and was optimistic about the pipeline.

"The pipeline is there and there are a few personal and team performances and I was more concerned about making things collective. And hopefully some of the boys will move to the next level but we can't rush as we have a senior core of players in the national team. Some of them [A team players] have got the taste of the national team. There are some younger players who have just come in and we can't rush them -- we need to be patient and I am very positive about the prospects and about Bangladesh cricket's future," he said.

Despite a bright start to his international career, Soumya Sarkar lost his place in the national team after a prolonged lean patch. The left-hander also disappointed for Bangladesh A in both formats.

"Look, I think that Soumya like many batsmen in the world is going through the toughest phase of his career. I have had many discussions with him not just the technical part but also the mental aspect of the game. He is such a talented and young man; he is just going through a particular stage but I am sure he will come out on the other side," Helmot added.