Daily Star Sport (DSS): In two editions of the ICC U/19 Cricket World Cup Bangladesh has featured once in the Plate final. Do you think this time the team has a chance of playing in the main competition?

Richard McInnes (RM): I'd like to hope so but it all depends on how everyone plays. If we play good cricket then we're a good team.

DSS: After assuming the coaching role what areas did you need to work on with the players?

RM: All of them. Generally they were a pretty good fielding side when I first started. But I worked a lot on discipline in both batting and bowling I think that's a major area. Hopefully, now the batsmen can bat longer periods of time and build big scores.

DSS: Are you satisfied with the amount of work done? If not, explain what else you could've done.

RM: Look I would have liked three years or 18 months to prepare them. I've had effectively probably only 2-3 months to get them ready so there is still plenty to do yet.

DSS: Your build-up for ICC U-19 Cricket World Cup has been mixed so far. By that we mean the team was outplayed in a four-nation tournament in Pakistan but they trounced Nepal recently. Do you think those contrasting performances suggest that we will struggle on the big stage?

RM:I don't know. The series in Pakistan was only two weeks after I arrived so I had no time to work with the players. In fact that was an opportunity for me to have a look at where they were at. And the series against Nepal, well we probably hoped to win that. I'm very happy at the way we won it. We played very good cricket and they played exactly how I wanted them to.

If we play the way we can then we can be competitive with any side in the competition.

DSS: It has been said that under you there has been an over-emphasis on physical fitness first and then cricket. Would you agree with the view? How fit is the squad now?

RM: No at all. It's a balanced approach. What I asked from our trainer Justin (Cordy) was that I didn't want the players to be limited by any physical capability. So certainly there hasn't been any over-emphasis on fitness. They are a lot fitter now, however, I can't give you the exact numbers. But we have had dramatic increases in fitness, strength and speed across the board.

DSS: How is the team spirit?

RM: Very good and very happy. It is excellent. There are no problems in the team and all the boys are happy. I've spoken to them about an issue that affected them in the last World Cup. You just have to listen to them as they checked-in to understand how happy they all are.

DSS: What kind of talent do you have at your disposal?

RM: There is some very good talent. Nafees is a very good batsman I think all of the bowlers are very high quality. Also we've got players like Naeem, Nazimuddin, Aftab, Ashik and Rubaiyat who are all good batsmen. Besides Dhiman is a very useful wicketkeeper-batsman and of course left-arm spinner Nadif Chowdhury.

DSS: Are you happy with the new captain Ashikur Rahman's role on and off the field?

RM: Yeah he's doing an excellent job. He is scoring runs and is making all the right decisions on the field like a good captain should do.

DSS: What are your thoughts on paceman Talha Jubair?

RM: He's doing well after coming back from injury. He has only played three games since then. Obviously, he is feeling his way back into international cricket. But we think we can get him through the World Cup if he is managed carefully.

DSS: Your coaching methods have been described as authoritarian by certain quarters. What is your view on this issue?

RM: I'd say those coaches have never actually been there or worked with me so they wouldn't actually know. They are more than welcome to come out and see how we worked because if you asked the players they wouldn't probably say I'm authoritarian since we got on together pretty well.

DSS: How important is the tournament for building Bangladesh's future cricketers?

RM: It's only one tournament but it is important because it's on a world stage. But you've got to remember it's only a month of cricket. After this we will go on and keep on training and develop further and then we will go to the next tournament. I'm really looking to the next World Cup in 2006. By that stage I would've been here for nearly two and a half years and had a good chance to really work with some players.

DSS: Five months into your assignment what's your observation of the current set-up?

RM: It's improving but there's still work to be done. Basically we need to develop more local coaches and get them employed through the BCB (Bangladesh Cricket Board) so that they are employed on a full-time basis. We've just run a Level 1 coaching course. Mirpur Stadium, as a centre of excellence, is being development over a period of couple of years. Also we've built huge stadiums at Fatullah, Bogra and Khulna.

Things are happening but it'll take time to have them up and running.

DSS: You have recently commented that there are only three qualified coaches in the country. Is it a fair statement?

RM: Yeah there were only three employed by the BCB which was actually what I said and these guys wrote something different. The three guys Ratan, Fahim and Sarwar Imran are the ones above Level 1 qualification. They are Level 2 and 3 coaches and the only ones being employed by the BCB and working with Bangladesh's elite young players. That is what I said and I'll stick by that because that is still the case as we haven't had anybody new since then.