In a move designed to bring much-needed focus back to cricket, Phil Simmons, the newly-appointed head coach of Bangladesh, on Saturday expressed his intention to help his players concentrate solely on the sport, setting aside the distractions as the team gears up to face South Africa in an upcoming two-match Test series. The series is scheduled to commence at the Sher-e-Bangla National Cricket Stadium on October 21.
Simmons comes on board at a turbulent time for the Bangladeshi squad, with his predecessor, Chandika Hathurasinghe, having been dismissed amid controversy, and star player Shakib Al Hasan unavailable for home games. This drama surrounding the team has distracted from the cricket itself, and Simmons’ primary mission is to refocus attention where it belongs.
At his first official press conference in Dhaka, held at the Sher-e-Bangla National Stadium on Saturday, Simmons shared his vision. “That’s the big part of our job over the next few days, to make sure the focus is on the cricket, and not on the outside of cricket. We can control how we prepare for Monday; that’s how we are trying to get the team to focus,” Simmons remarked.
The significance of the upcoming Test series is not lost on the coach. “The good thing is we have a very important Test match to prepare for. We win the next few Tests, and we are in contention for the (WTC) final,” he stated, illustrating his immediate cricket-focused objectives. “My first port of call is cricket and about getting the squad ready for Monday. The last two days (of training) have been brilliant. We have to try to leave out the confusion that’s around the cricket, and concentrate on preparing for Monday.”
Simmons, who marks his entry as the second West Indian to take the helm of the Bangladesh cricket team, following in the footsteps of Gordon Greenidge, brings with him a wealth of experience from previous stints with teams like Ireland and Afghanistan. He believes these experiences will serve him well in guiding the team forward. “All these experiences will help me in the next few days to get me ready for Monday. Afghanistan helped me with the language barrier sometimes. Ireland helped me with developing young players. It all comes in at the end of the day. I have to use all those experiences in this assignment.”
“My philosophy is to work hard in your preparation and results will come in the match. What I have seen in the last couple of days, these guys work really hard on their game, skills and fitness. I am pretty happy over the last couple of days,” Simmons elaborated, expressing his satisfaction with the team’s dedication and readiness.
Despite having been considered by the Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) back in 2018 for the head coach role, Simmons missed out.
. Nevertheless, when the opportunity arose again, his decision to accept was not a difficult one. “The interest comes from seeing the quality of the young players. They handled themselves well against Pakistan. They didn’t do well in the T20Is against India but they played against the best T20 team in the world, so you have things to take out of there,” Simmons reflected. “It wasn’t a hard decision. One, young players to develop. Two, there are Tests and ODIs involved.”
Simmons acknowledged the pressures of international coaching but was undeterred, noting the variability in challenges across nations. “All international coaching jobs are hot seats. Bangladesh is different. Pakistan is different. For me, it is a case of getting the players to play and enjoy everything and win matches. The seat is not hot. The last two days have been really good.”
As Bangladesh prepares for the formidable challenge posed by South Africa, who have not won a Test series in the subcontinent in the last decade, Simmons views it as an excellent opportunity. “It is definitely a good opportunity. Bangladesh are usually very strong at home. So it is a very good opportunity for us to win the Test series,” he commented.
Adding to this, Simmons detailed discussions he held with captain Najmul Hossain over the past two days, focusing on player strategies and the team’s direction. “It has been about his thoughts on players and the direction he wants to take the team. It was also about what we do before Monday. It is generally about how we go into the first Test match,” Simmons noted.
The tension and anticipation continue to build as the team hones its focus on the two critical Test matches. The second fixture, which forms part of the ICC Test Championship, is due to be played at Zahur Ahmed Chowdhury Stadium in Chattogram, starting October 29.