"Let's judge them in two years...": Nick Pothas ahead of second Bangladesh-Sri Lanka Test

The Bangla Tigers were thrashed in the first Test against the Islanders and lost the encounter by 328 runs at Sylhet earlier this week. The second match of the series will be played from Saturday at Chattogram's Zahur Ahmed Chowdhury Stadium.

The 50-year-old asserted that Bangladesh have very young players in the side and they are up against a very experienced side and they will take time to understand the game.

"We have a very young and inexperienced group (of batters). There was a very elite group before this. Now we have to rebuild. The only thing that we request is that people are patient. These are very good young players, but they are young and they are playing against an experienced team and it will take time to learn lessons," Pothas said, according to ESPNcricinfo.

Pothas said that the Bangladesh team has a fantastic group of players.

"We wouldn't expect any different from our children when we put them in new environments. We don't expect our kids to suddenly be experts. That's why they go to school. So they're a fantastic group and let's judge them in two years' time rather than now," the 50-year-old asserted.

Pothas pointed out that Bangladesh's young players have a solid foundation for the future. They have developed a positive dressing room environment in which everyone trusts one another.

"From a hunger point of view, they want to do really well in the Test. They always really want to do well. They are a fantastic group. They get on very, very well. You can just see by smiles on their faces," the Johannesberg-born coach stated.

"I think the important thing for us as a management group is to manage the mood of the group. As long as we are level-headed, then we will learn, but we certainly aren't an emotional group. It is not an emotional change room. The change room is very, very helpful," Pothas added. (ANI)