The 49-year-old coach issued the reality check while talking to reporters after rain forced the cancellation of the second day's training yesterday.

"Their record speaks for itself. England have been pretty good in the subcontinent. So, it's going to be a tougher series than the one against Pakistan," said Whatmore adding that the task for Bangladesh would be how they countered the English approach of playing on 'opponents' patience'.

"The English like to play the game conventionally. They really test your patience," remarked Whatmore, who enjoyed a successful stint with English county Lancashire after the 1999 World Cup.

Michael Vaughan's men will arrive here on October 8 to play two Tests and three-one day internationals in Dhaka and Chittagong. Definitely England will be carrying an impressive subcontinent track record with them.

They have won series against Sri Lanka 2-1, defeated Pakistan 1-0 and scored a fantastic 1-1 draw against an impregnable India.

But despite England's impressive Asian record Whatmore believes that his emerging Tigers will go one better than the recent series against Pakistan, where the team dragged the Peshawar Test into the fifth day and came tantalisingly close to winning the final Test in Multan.

"To achieve that we will have to push ourselves to the limit. At the moment we are heading in the right direction. There is no better way than individual improvement but it should come collectively to earn the right result," Whatmore said.

The Sri Lankan-born Australian said that he wanted to mould his team into a more competitive unit in both versions of the game and he would not hesitate to throw a youngster into the deep end especially if he performs exceedingly well in the practice matches.

England will play two warm-up matches against BCB President's Eleven and the Bangladesh A team before the first Test starts on October 21 at the Bangabandhu National Stadium.

When asked to comment on the inclusion young leg-spinner Mosaddek Hossain in the list of probables, Dav said that it was too early to say anything. He also reminded that one should not discount the quality of England's two left-handers openers Marcus Trescothick and Graham Thorpe.

He also observed that Bangla-desh did not possess a reasonable leg spinner let alone a world-class performer like Australians Shane Warne and Stuart MacGill or Indian Anil Kumble.

Whatmore was also not sure whether his line of attack would be spin-oriented or driven by pace.

When his attention was drawn to the three rejects of the Pakistan tour Mohammad Ashraful, Sanwar Hossain and Monjurul Islam, Whatmore said that there was only one way to stay in the team and that was to perform consistently.

"They have played a lot of cricket. And now the selectors want to look at others waiting in the wings," he said adding that it would be a long haul for the axed trio.

Commenting on the lucrative incentive announced by the Board, the famed coach, who guided Sri Lanka to World Cup glory in 1996, said that incentive or not playing for one's country should be paramount. Whatmore however said that he would have been happier had the Board arranged better practice facilities for every cricketer.

"I am happy with what has been granted so far but BCB could provide more facilities not only for national cricketers but also for other selections," the Bangladesh coach said.

Although Friday is a rest day, Whatmore wanted his boys to attend a one-hour workout in the gym to make up for the lost day due to rain.