“The Appeal Made by Bangladesh’s New Coach to the Cricketers”
Bangladesh’s new head coach, Phil Simmons, has urged the cricketers to focus on their game, putting aside all off-field distractions. The issue surrounding the country’s top all-rounder, Shakib Al Hasan, has had a significant impact on Bangladesh cricket.
Shakib had expressed his desire to bid farewell to the longer format of the game after the first Test of the two-match series against South Africa. For this reason, Shakib was included in the squad for the first Test. However, as Shakib is a former member of parliament from the ousted Awami League government, many no longer want to see him play on home soil. On the other hand, his fans want him to play his last match on home ground. Thus, with the South Africa series around the corner, there are daily protests and demonstrations in Mirpur, both for and against Shakib.
Due to security concerns, Shakib has been excluded from the squad for the first Test. In his place, left-arm spinner Hasan Murad has been given an opportunity in the team.
It is believed that the current off-field situation has distracted the cricketers ahead of this Test series, which is part of the ICC World Test Championship.
Simmons said, “In the coming days, this will be a major part of our work. It is important to focus on cricket, not on off-field matters.”
He added, “We can think about how to prepare for Monday (the day the first Test begins). This is how we are trying to keep the team focused.”
Despite the turbulent surrounding circumstances, Simmons is happy to see the players working hard. He said, “My philosophy is to prepare through hard work so that results can be achieved in the match. Over the last two days, I have seen the boys working really hard on their game and fitness, which makes me very happy.”
Simmons is ready to take on the challenge, knowing that he will always be in the spotlight as Bangladesh’s head coach. He said, “All international coaching jobs are in the hot seat. Bangladesh is different. Pakistan is different. For me, it’s about preparing the cricketers, enjoying everything, and winning matches. The last two days have been really good.”
Simmons further said, “The goal is to prepare properly and try to win matches, starting with the first Test on Monday. That’s how I work.”
