Newly appointed Bangladesh national team head coach Phil Simmons is adamant nothing apart from cricket will be in mind of the team as they get ready to take on South Africa in a two-match Test series starting Monday.
Former West Indies all-rounder Simmons has signed for the Bangladesh gig amid tension between Bangladesh Cricket Board and previous head coach Chandika Hathurusingha.
The board is also in a dilemma after axing all-rounder and Member of Parliament of the fallen Sheikh Hasina government, Shakib al Hasan, from the series due to security concern.
“That’s the big part of our job [of not getting distracted] 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,” said Simmons in his first interaction with the Bangladesh media at Sher-e-Bangla National Stadium Saturday.
Simmons has come to Bangladesh with the experience of coaching the Windies, Ireland, Afghanistan and Zimbabwe.
The 61-year old, who is to stay with the Tigers till the 2025 Champions Trophy in Pakistan, informed that he was offered the Bangladesh job a week ago.
“Today is Saturday? Maybe a week and a half ago [I was offered by BCB]. The interest [of working with Bangladesh team] comes from seeing the young players and the quality that they have. Watching some of the Pakistan Test matches and seeing how they handled themselves in some of those Test matches. Then the Twenty20s in India didn't go well but that is the best T20 team in the world at present,” said Simmons.
“It is all added up to an assignment, which I enjoyed. One, young players to develop, two, there are Test matches, 50-overs and everything involved. So, it wasn't a hard decision,” the former Windies cricketer added.
Speaking of his first assignment with the Tigers – that is the two Tests against the Proteas which are part of the World Test Championship – Simmons believes home team Bangladesh stand a good chance to make history and register their maiden Test series win over the South Africans.
“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. South Africa have that [record of not winning in the sub-continent in the last 10 years] hanging over their heads but they are a resilient team. They will work hard to change that,” said Simmons.
The first Test will begin in Mirpur Monday.
The second and final Test will be played in Chittagong’s Zahur Ahmed Chowdhury Stadium from October 29.
