Bangladesh cricketers did not get to have the best of preparations for the upcoming Champions Trophy 2025.
The statement has come from Bangladesh national team head coach Phil Simmons as the team gear up for the eight-nation tournament set to take place in Pakistan and the United Arab Emirates starting February 19.
Former West Indies cricketer Simmons during interaction with the media at Sher-e-Bangla National Stadium Monday hoped that the players will quickly get back into the ODI groove having just finished a 45-day long Bangladesh Premier League Twenty20 tournament.
Bangladesh team before heading to Dubai on February 14 have got five training sessions to attend.
“I agree that it is not the best preparation. But they were playing white-ball cricket, which means that they are sharp skills-wise,” said Simmons.
“We have to get their minds up to 50-over cricket in the next six or seven days. They have the skills. They are performing. It is about getting to that 50-over mentality now. We will have double practice sessions in the next couple of days. We bat and bowl in the morning, and then do the same under the lights.
“We are getting ourselves prepared to bat for 50 overs. The first part of the preparation is about Dubai. Once we can get ourselves in the right frame of mind, and work on the right things for Dubai, I think we can start [preparations for] the rest the competition well. We will get familiar conditions in Pakistan after that,” the former Windies all-rounder explained.
The 11th edition of BPL concluded on February 7 with Fortune Barishal finishing champions for the second time in a row.
The Bangladesh team training started the following day but mainly with the presence of players whose BPL teams could not make it to the second round of BPL.
Bangladesh are in Group A of the Champions Trophy and will begin their campaign against India in Dubai on February 20.
The Tigers will then travel to Rawalpindi, Pakistan to take on New Zealand on February 24 and then the hosts on February 27 at the same venue.
