Ashraful: Win came at right time

Mohammad Ashraful hopes Bangla's victory over SL will silence the critics who questioned their Test status.

All-rounder Shakib Al Hasan scored an unbeaten 92 off just 69 deliveries as Bangladesh defeated Sri Lanka by five wickets and with over seven overs remaining in a game reduced to 31 overs due to fog.

Bangladesh's record since they were granted Test status in 2000 has been woeful.

They have won just once - against Zimbabwe in January 2005 - and drawn six times in 59 matches and have lost the others, most of them by humiliating margins.

Last week International Cricket Council president David Morgan suggested teams should not be playing Test cricket merely because they were full members of the ICC.

"If a team is not gaining anything from the experience, then perhaps it might be better to settle for one-day international status," he said.

Ashraful confident

ICC general manager Dave Richardson later denied Bangladesh's Test status was being reviewed and Ashraful believes his side belong in the Test arena.

"During the 2005 tour of England we did not do too well in the Test matches and there were all sorts of news reports criticising our Test status," he said.

"We then beat Australia in the NatWest Trophy and that campaign stopped and people started saying how talented we were and stuff.

"In the World Cup an early flight home was predicted for us and we sent India packing instead.

"Recently the debate on our Test status has surfaced again and this win, although it is in an one-dayer, could not have come at a better time."

Ashraful is confident his team could could win the triangular series final against Sri Lanka.

"I have said this all along, that if we perform to potential in all three departments then we can expect a positive result in any match," he added.

"We will focus on playing good cricket in the final and with a bit of luck we would win the title."