Wednesday, August 29, 2001 Exploiting home advantage is a legitimate tactic and it is one that Pakistan do not seem to have cared too much about in the opening match of this year's Asian Test Championship. I fail to understand why the Pakistan Cricket Board has decided to hold the match at a brand new ground in Multan. Nobody can seriously expect Bangladesh to beat Pakistan but the unknown pitch offers them a faint hope. I have nothing against bringing on new venues but the PCB have not even tried out the Multan track in a three-day game or a one-day international. Incredible.

On an untested wicket you never know how the ball will behave or how the pitch will hold up over five days. It is a new experience for both sides and Pakistan have turned home advantage into a disadvantage. Despite the opposition's inexperience at this level, Pakistan should have scheduled the match for a major centre, like Lahore or Karachi - a ground where the Pakistan players are more familiar with the pitch; somewhere they could have used that experience in their favour. Home advantage means that you know the wicket so well that you feel mentally relaxed playing on it.

Clearly Bangladesh cannot match Pakistan on paper but Pakistan should, nevertheless, take them seriously. Success at international level requires application and determination, even if you are the most talented and highest rated team in the world. Bangladesh have nothing to lose, and Pakistan have a habit of losing games that they should not.

Now that I have spent a few weeks in Bangladesh it is clear to me their batsmen are as talented as any in the world, but that they lack experience. There are four or five in the Test squad who are very good, and the youngsters in the U19s and A team have enormous potential. They are hungry for success and working hard. The Bangladesh Cricket Board is investing in the cricket infrastructure and trying to provide the best possible facilities. They will be a real force in the future.

The main technical fault the Bangladeshi batsmen have is that they play too late - behind the body and not in front of it. There are several reasons for this. The Bangladeshi wickets are too slow and low, and they also lack quality fast bowlers to test their techniques. But even in the short time that I worked with the players I noticed an improvement. I had them playing against the steeply lifting ball at 80-90 mph.

But the greatest hurdle that Bangladesh face is the lack of experience. Exposure to the big time is the only way to improve your game. You can spend as many hours as you like in the nets, but the real place to learn is in the middle. Every international side has been through the same evolutionary process and it takes several years to get established. Bangladesh are no different - give them time.

Javed Miandad was speaking to Kamran Abbasi

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