No matter what Suryakumar Yadav and his squad have accomplished in the last four games, Phil Simmons, the head coach of Bangladesh, does not think that India is an invincible team. On Wednesday, his ‘Tigers’ will play the defending world champions in an Asia Cup Super 4 match.
Bangladesh will enter the game having defeated Sri Lanka in a previous Super 4s encounter, which has greatly increased their confidence given that T20Is aren’t their “Go-To” format.
When asked if this Indian team could be defeated, Simmons, who played for a formidable West Indies team in the 1980s and 1990s, responded: “Every team has the ability to beat India.”
“The game is played on the day. It’s not what India has done before. It’s what happens on Wednesday. It’s what happens during that three and a half hour period. We will try to play as best as we can and hope to find chinks in India’s armoury. That’s the way we win games.”
The 62-year-old Simmons, well aware of the intense atmosphere surrounding any India match, wants his players to fully embrace the electric environment, stay focused in the moment, and relish the challenge.
“Every game, especially games involving India, have a hype because they’re the number one T20 team in the world. There must be a hype. We’re just going to ride on the hype. We’re going to enjoy the moment and enjoy the game.”
Simmons thinks that the pitch at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium (DICS) is excellent for batting and that the toss won’t play a significant role in the game.
“I didn’t see much of a difference in the wicket over the 40 overs. I think it’s some of the best wickets I’ve seen here for a while. I think last night (India vs Pakistan) it was the same. The wicket was really good to bat. Bowlers had to bowl properly. I don’t think the toss has that much of an effect.”
Simmons acknowledged that playing back-to-back T20 matches in the sweltering September heat in Dubai and Abu Dhabi may be physically taxing.
“It is extremely difficult to play back-to-back T20 matches, back-to-back ODIs. So it’s not a nice thing but again we are prepared, we have trained really hard.
“I think the guys are fit enough to handle the back-to-back game. But it is not a fair thing for any team to have to play back-to-back T20s. It’s a lot more difficult than people seem to think,” stated the coach, who during his playing career represented the West Indies in 143 ODIs and 26 Test matches.
When discussing the team’s senior players, the coach was unable to resist complimenting Mustafizur Rahman, a seasoned left-arm seamer, for leading the team’s youngsters and showing more initiative in team meetings.
“He’s been the main bowler. And he’s carrying that mantle of being the senior bowler on the team. And even in meetings and everything, he’s really stepping up. So it’s great to see him performing out there.”
“Look, I am one who tries to control my emotions as much as possible. We are not here to win a game against Sri Lanka. We are here to win the tournament…then I can release my emotions. But I have to keep everybody grounded in the dressing room.”
Every squad’s analysts weigh the risks and rewards while choosing the best combination in T20 cricket, which is becoming more and more data-driven. Simmons took a different stance on the idea of increasing the number of risk-takers on the team.
“I don’t know about risk in T20 format. Since I’ve been here, we’ve tried to make sure that this is the way we want to play. And we’ve picked the correct players to play that way. And so far, it’s benefitted us. It’s going well,” he asserted.
When it comes to cricket, Bangladesh is an emotional nation, thus Simmons was asked a relevant question regarding how one responds to the constant criticism.
“…as long as I’m confident and my staff and myself, including the captain, are confident in what we’re doing and how we’re guiding the team, then criticism is like water off a duck’s back,” he said.
