‘Want to play Tests on proper wickets’ – Bangladesh coach Phil Simmons ahead of Zimbabwe Tests

Bangladesh head coach Phil Simmons stated that they aim to play Test cricket on proper wickets rather than spin-friendly tracks as they prepare to face Zimbabwe at the Sylhet International Cricket Stadium from April 20. The upcoming Test series marks the beginning for Bangladesh cricket team of a new era, with Mushfiqur Rahim, being the only experienced player still active in Test cricket.

Simmons shared that their goal is to prepare proper wickets to guide the Test team in the right direction. He praised Mushfiqur and Mahamudullah for their contributions, highlighting Mushfiqur’s professionalism and strong work ethic. He also appreciated the excellent preparation facilities available close to the hotel in Sylhet.

“Our plan is to prepare proper wickets and try to play as we want to take the Test team in the direction. We don’t necessarily have to prepare a spin track. There’s no talk of preparing a spin or seaming track. It looks hard and really nice,” Simmons said ahead of the Test series at Sylhet on Friday.

“I must say that he [Mushfiqur] has given so much for Bangladesh cricket. Both him and Mahmudullah, Bangladesh cricket owes a lot to them. [Mushfiqur] is as professional as they come. He thinks he can get the runs that he deserves from the point of view of how much he is working. He wants to do well. He is working on being in good nick. He has had a phenomenal run against Zimbabwe. Let’s make sure he gets where he wants to, in this Test. Preparation has been good. I think the facilities are like a dream. You can do what you want. It is close to the hotel. We have done a lot of things in a short time,” he added.

Will focus on the Sylhet Test: Simmons

Simmons acknowledged Blessing Muzarbani as a global threat due to his height advantage but noted that several players have faced him in franchise cricket and are preparing accordingly. He added that their focus is on winning the first Test in Sylhet, rather than thinking about a series whitewash or the Chittagong match.

“He [Blessing] is a threat to any team in the world. His height gives him different advantages. But again, a number of the guys have played against him before, mostly in franchise cricket. They have an idea about him. They are making sure that they have a way of playing against him,” said Simmons.

“I don’t know about a whitewash. We take one step at a time. We win the first Test, and then we start talking about winning the series. I can’t look until Chittagong. I need to focus on Sylhet,” he added.

Check Also: Phil Simmons isn’t planning too much, he is trying to understand everything: Najmul Hossain Shanto

Confident in our pace unit: Simmons

Simmons said that while having a left-arm pacer is beneficial in modern international cricket, they are content with the four quality right-arm pacers currently in the squad. He praised Nahid Rana’s pace and potential to trouble batters. He added that despite progress since 2005 more improvement is needed to reach the top three.

“It is good to have a left-arm pacer nowadays in international cricket, but if you don’t, as long as you have two or three quality right-arm pace bowlers, we are happy with the four quicks we have in the team right now. Nahid Rana has the pace that most fast bowlers are dying for. If he is bowling in the right areas, he is definitely going to trouble batters. There’s been a lot of improvement since 2005. But they need more improvement to go where they want to be – up in the top three. We still have a lot of work to do,” he concluded.

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