Bangladesh head coach Phil Simmons has sought to keep the focus firmly on the field amid questions over the team's preparations following the removal of batting coach Mohammad Ashraful, insisting that the squad remains united and determined to make the most of its World Test Championship (WTC) campaign.
With a two-Test series against West Indies beginning in Mirpur on Wednesday, Bangladesh will be keen to put a turbulent period behind them and strengthen their position in the WTC standings. The team currently sits fourth in the table, making the home series an important opportunity to collect valuable points in the race for a place in the final.
The Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) announced on Saturday that Ashraful had been reassigned from his role as batting coach, with Mohammad Salahuddin taking over on an interim basis. The decision came after a mixed run of results in the UAE, where Bangladesh drew a one-off Test against Afghanistan before losing both their matches in the ODI tri-series involving Afghanistan and Zimbabwe.
The coaching change prompted speculation about unrest within the setup and whether recent results had influenced the board's decision. Simmons, however, played down the suggestion that the developments had unsettled his players, stressing that their attention was on preparation and the challenge ahead.
“Is this the first time there's chaos before a match?” Simmons said ahead of the first Test, according to cricinfo.
“Every series is important. Those that we played earlier in the year were important too. But the thing is how we go about our preparation for the series. I think that the group that was here have been excellent in the last three or four days. They've been doing their work and now the whole team joins together. It's what we do over the next two days, it's not what's happening outside, it's what we do as a team to prepare,” he added.
Simmons also highlighted the significance of the WTC campaign, pointing to the opportunity Bangladesh have to compete for a place in the championship final.
“I think everyone is very focused on the Test match. The same in the Test match in Abu Dhabi, I think everyone was focused on the Test match and what's in front of them. I think there's that goal and that desire to play in the World Test Championship and this is the first time we've had that opportunity to be there. So I think everyone is going to be up and ready for the Test matches,” he said.
Bangladesh's drawn Test against Afghanistan in Abu Dhabi earlier this month attracted criticism, with questions raised over the batting approach and whether the team had done enough to force a result. Simmons defended the players, arguing that they had followed the intended strategy and that the pitch had become more favourable for batting than the team had anticipated on the final day.
“I don't think it was a case where they didn't respond to the match situation. I think that they played it exactly how we wanted to play it. The wicket got better than we thought. So on the last day, it was a lot better than we thought it would be on the last day,” he said.
The coach also pointed to missed opportunities in the field, including a missed run-out chance and dropped catches, which he felt had cost Bangladesh the opportunity to secure victory.
“I think from that, at the end of the day, we should have won the Test match. We missed a run-out, we dropped a few catches. So, at the end of the day, we should have won the match, but I don't think we played it in the wrong way,” Simmons added.
The first Test will be played at the Shere Bangla National Stadium in Mirpur from October 28, while the second Test is scheduled to begin in Sylhet on November 5.
With a two-Test series against West Indies beginning in Mirpur on Wednesday, Bangladesh will be keen to put a turbulent period behind them and strengthen their position in the WTC standings. The team currently sits fourth in the table, making the home series an important opportunity to collect valuable points in the race for a place in the final.
The Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) announced on Saturday that Ashraful had been reassigned from his role as batting coach, with Mohammad Salahuddin taking over on an interim basis. The decision came after a mixed run of results in the UAE, where Bangladesh drew a one-off Test against Afghanistan before losing both their matches in the ODI tri-series involving Afghanistan and Zimbabwe.
The coaching change prompted speculation about unrest within the setup and whether recent results had influenced the board's decision. Simmons, however, played down the suggestion that the developments had unsettled his players, stressing that their attention was on preparation and the challenge ahead.
‘Is this the first time there's chaos before a match?’: Simmons
“Is this the first time there's chaos before a match?” Simmons said ahead of the first Test, according to cricinfo.
“Every series is important. Those that we played earlier in the year were important too. But the thing is how we go about our preparation for the series. I think that the group that was here have been excellent in the last three or four days. They've been doing their work and now the whole team joins together. It's what we do over the next two days, it's not what's happening outside, it's what we do as a team to prepare,” he added.
Simmons also highlighted the significance of the WTC campaign, pointing to the opportunity Bangladesh have to compete for a place in the championship final.
“I think everyone is very focused on the Test match. The same in the Test match in Abu Dhabi, I think everyone was focused on the Test match and what's in front of them. I think there's that goal and that desire to play in the World Test Championship and this is the first time we've had that opportunity to be there. So I think everyone is going to be up and ready for the Test matches,” he said.
Simmons defends Bangladesh's approach in Afghanistan Test
Bangladesh's drawn Test against Afghanistan in Abu Dhabi earlier this month attracted criticism, with questions raised over the batting approach and whether the team had done enough to force a result. Simmons defended the players, arguing that they had followed the intended strategy and that the pitch had become more favourable for batting than the team had anticipated on the final day.
“I don't think it was a case where they didn't respond to the match situation. I think that they played it exactly how we wanted to play it. The wicket got better than we thought. So on the last day, it was a lot better than we thought it would be on the last day,” he said.
The coach also pointed to missed opportunities in the field, including a missed run-out chance and dropped catches, which he felt had cost Bangladesh the opportunity to secure victory.
“I think from that, at the end of the day, we should have won the Test match. We missed a run-out, we dropped a few catches. So, at the end of the day, we should have won the match, but I don't think we played it in the wrong way,” Simmons added.
Bangladesh vs West Indies: Test series schedule
The first Test will be played at the Shere Bangla National Stadium in Mirpur from October 28, while the second Test is scheduled to begin in Sylhet on November 5.