Bangladesh cricket team landed in Eastern Cape province yesterday to play the third and final one-day match against South Africa at the Buffalo Park on Wednesday. But the short trip from a chilly Johannesburg to a brilliant sunshine city at the lap of Indian Ocean was not at all pleasing for the Tigers, firstly their heavy defeat at Benoni and secondly the offensive remarks made by the South African captain Graeme Smith.

Smith criticised the visitors heavily during the post-match briefing after the second one-day match in Benoni on Sunday for what he observed Bangladesh giving up the chase with-outafi^ht

He also said that Bangladesh's approach was 'badforcricket'.

"It's a sad day for cricket when one team stops chasingwhen they are three wickets down. Perhaps it's something that cricket needs to look at", Smith said while referring to Bangladesh's submissive approach once Ashraful was dismissed for five with the scoreboard reading at 103-3.

Chasinga mammoth South African total of 358, Bangladesh started brightly but eventually lost the game by 128 runs.

T know 358 is a massive target but they have got guys who have playod 100 to 130 one-day matches, so there's a lot of experience around. By not even making an attempt to chase it down from the twenty over is.. .1 must say is bad for cricket and it's also bad for Bangladesh cricket''.

“So, they certainly disappointed me today," said Smith who made an impressive 67-baD 65 in his first match after recovering from a tennis elbow injury.

Smith was not as aggressive as he was after the match while talking with the touring Bangladeshi reporters at the Tombo International Airport Lounge on theirway to East London.

“I made the comment not to humil -iate the Bangladesh team rather my point was that it's impossible for any team to improve by playing in this way. Still I am really disappointed by the approach of Bangladesh team," said Smith while defending his harsh com -ments the othernighL

"I also want Bangladesh's progress in world cricket and it's needed for the greater interest of the game but you can’t achieve anything if you continue to playin this way," he added.

The observation of South African captain however angered Bangladesh coach Jamie Siddons and the Australian made no secret about his disappointment

"He is not coach or captain of this team (Bangladesh). We have our own development plan and we are progressing accordingly," Siddons responded to Smith's reaction.

"Definitely we had a plan to chase the total but it was not possible when Tamim (Iqbal) and Ashraful (Mohammad) got out IfTamim played an innings like 120 runs then other batsmen could have played in a differentway," he explained.

Tamim was also disappointed by the comments of Smith.

"I don't think so because ifwe had not desired to chase that target how could we possibly score 40 odd runs in five overs. It was nothing like that we never played just to

exhaust those 50 overs," said the dashing left-hander.

“Actually we don't think about what he (Smith) is saying and we

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are saying against them. We believe in ourselves because we know what was our plan was. Our plan didn't ultimately work because we lost a few quick wickets that's it," he added.

Tamim also believes that it's possible for them to chase down chat big total.

"Nothing is impossible in cricket," said a confident Tamim.