Jamie Siddons signs as Bangla coach

Jamie Siddons, the former Australian assistant coach signs a 2-yr contract with the B'desh Cricket Board to coach the national team.

Australian Jamie Siddons signed as Bangladesh's new national coach Wednesday, seeking to make cricket's lowest-ranked test nation a more consistent team. "Bangladesh may be a small team. But it's an international team and there is a thrill in coaching such a team," Siddons told reporters after signing a 2-year contract.

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Siddons was an accomplished first-class player with Victoria and South Australia, played a single one-day game for Australia, and was most recently Australia's assistant coach.

"One of my goals will be to make the team's performance consistent and push the players to improve every day," Siddons, 43, said.

Siddons will formally take up his coaching role on Nov. 19. Siddons takes over the Bangladesh team from compatriot Shaun Williams, who had been temporary coach since Australian Dav Whatmore quit the role in May.

Siddons' first series will be in December when Bangladesh will visit New Zealand to play two tests and three one-day games. Bangladesh is cricket's newest test nation, and its performance has improved to the point where it beat South Africa and India during this year's World Cup.