Bangladesh wants to play aggressive cricket rather than just scoring 200 runs a day, but success on that path will take time, said head coach Phil Simmons.
After a disappointing Champions Trophy campaign and an embarrassing defeat against Zimbabwe, criticism is pouring in from all corners of Bangladesh cricket. Simmons, too, feels the pressure and the expectations of the fans. But he reminded everyone that improvement won’t come overnight. The Bangladesh coach once again asked supporters for patience as the team works through the process to find success.
Since taking charge last October, Simmons has mostly faced negative results. Bangladesh was whitewashed by South Africa and now couldn’t even win at home against Zimbabwe. Though they did show some promise by winning a Test match during the West Indies tour, the overall trend remains concerning.
In ODIs, Bangladesh’s form hasn’t been encouraging either. Before being whitewashed by the West Indies, they failed to win the series against Afghanistan. Hopes were high heading into the Champions Trophy in February-March, but Bangladesh delivered nothing but disappointment, struggling to compete against India and New Zealand.
Across all three formats, since Simmons took over, Bangladesh has won just five out of sixteen matches. The constant failures have triggered growing criticism, and the impact is being felt beyond the field too — the country’s cricket market has taken a hit, with sponsors and investors losing interest.
To revive the cricket market and bring smiles back to the faces of fans, Bangladesh knows there’s no alternative to winning. Starting Monday in Chattogram, Najmul Hossain Shanto’s team will embark on a new battle to save the series.
Speaking at the pre-match press conference, Simmons addressed the recent struggles and urged everyone to stay patient.
“Of course I want to ask everyone to be patient, especially the people of Bangladesh. I know how passionate they are about the game. They want to see their team do well. So I am asking for patience. We are trying to do everything right to play good cricket.”
Before the series began, Shanto had spoken about building a strong Test culture in Bangladesh. However, from day one of the Sylhet Test, it was the same old Bangladesh on display.
After getting bowled out for just 191 runs in the first innings, Simmons had pointed out that the team would no longer remain stuck in the old ways of Test cricket. Heading into the second match, he echoed the same sentiment.
“We know as a team we didn’t bat well in the first match and we put ourselves in trouble. Now our focus is on playing a positive brand of Test cricket. It’s not about batting all day to score just 200 runs.”
Even during the Sylhet Test, Simmons had asked for time as Bangladesh embarked on a new path. Ahead of the second match, he once again reminded everyone of the same message.
“In the media, there’s always talk about change. But where we want to go will take some time. My message to the players is that in the last match, there were some loose shots and soft dismissals. We need to ensure improvement going forward. We cannot keep repeating the same mistakes for one, two, or three Tests in a row.”
