Bermuda face unpredictable opposition in their final World Cup Group B match in Port of Spain, Trinidad tomorrow.

Bangladesh, coached by Dav Whatmore — who led Sri Lanka to World Cup glory in 1996 — have shown both sides of their game at the Queen’s Park Oval in the past week.

In their World Cup opener against India, they scored a major upset when they stunned the Indians by five wickets. But they then came crashing down to earth against Sri Lanka.

Having assessed Bangladesh’s strengths and weaknesses, chairman of Bermuda’s national cricket team selectors Arnold Manders believes his side’s chances for success tomorrow are as good as any.

“It’s not going to be an easy game, but I think if we show up to play and Bangladesh don’t then they could be in for a little bit of trouble,” he said.

“When I watched Bangladesh play against India I thought they were one of the better fielding teams. But against Sri Lanka I don’t think they fielded as sharply while their batting didn’t look that deep.” Manders, however, isn’t taking Bermuda’s opponents lightly.

“They do have very good young players, and I am impressed with their first four or five top order batsmen,” he said. “But we are looking to gain some respectability and gain something that we can build on in the future.”

So what’s his team’s strategy against their Asian opponents? “Our plan is to try and work on some of the basics of the game which I think we can’t afford not to get right against Bangladesh on Sunday. I think if we can execute the basics of the game and take our chances on the day, then we should be okay,” Manders explained.

The former Western Stars and Bermuda all-rounder thinks winning the toss will be crucial if the Island team are to have any success on what he again anticipates will be a pitch that will assist the bowlers in the early stages of the match.

“I think all of the wickets in the Caribbean are playing the same at the moment. I think whichever team bats first always seems to struggle through their innings. They have to try and consolidate because the ball moves a bit in the early stages of the match,” he said.

“However, I think the wicket does tend to play a bit easier as the day goes by and so hopefully we can win the toss and dismiss Bangladesh for a reasonably low score.”

Manders, as usual, refused to discuss team selection ahead of tomorrow’s match. But he did praise some of the team’s younger members who he felt had made reasonable contributions so far in the Caribbean.

“Our youngsters are really coming along and this is something that has impressed me most at the World Cup,” he said. “I think players such as OJ (Pitcher), Delyone (Borden), Stephen (Outerbridge) and Malachi (Jones) are all coming along nicely, and I think the future for Bermuda cricket looks very bright indeed.

“Malachi became the fourth youngest player to play in a World Cup, and I don’t believe anybody else has picked up a wicket with their first ball in the World Cup before. I’ve also been very impressed with Stefan Kelly; I like his attitude, his smooth bowling action and his bowling appears to have improved.

“So right now we remain optimistic and look to some of our other young cricketers to come into the team, some of those who turned their back on us earlier because I think it’s important that we try and change their attitudes and get them back in the national programme.”