Whatmore backs his players

Dav Whatmore: 'The Kenyan team is no pushover in its own country' © AFP

Dav Whatmore, the Bangladesh coach, believes his side can still make amends and end its African tour on a high note when they meet Kenya in a three-match one-day series later this week.

Whatmore said his side started as favourites to clinch the five-matches series in Zimbabwe, but players found it difficult to adapt to African conditions. "We were under pressure to perform. As a result, we made many mistakes especially in our fielding - we should have done better."

He refrained from under rating the Kenyans, who will also be enjoying home advantage, knowing their pedigree against visiting teams. "The Kenyan team is no pushover in its own country," said Whatmore, who was in charge of Sri Lanka team when it suffered a shock 32-run defeat to Kenya in a 2003 World Cup.

"However, we are still favourites to win. The job becomes just a little bit harder because we are playing in foreign conditions which are different from the sub-continent. You need to adjust...we are fortunate enough to come from Zimbabwe where we have had five matches and a practice match so many of the boys have adjusted quite well.".

Khaled Mashud will again lead the Bangladesh side for the three-match series starting at the Nairobi Gymkhana club on August 12 after Habibul Bashar was forced to return home on Sunday with a broken thumb. In contrast, Kenya will start the series fresh from a 2-0 win over Canada.