Keeping the focus on cricket will be a big part of the job for the new Bangladesh national team head coach, Phil Simmons. The West Indian said on Saturday that his previous experience will help him to get the team ready for the first Test against South Africa, which starts at Mirpur on Monday in unusual circumstances.

Bangladesh cricket has seen some dramatic events unfold for the last few days. The former head coach Chandika Hathurusingha has been suspended and later sacked by the BCB on disciplinary grounds. 

Simmons was announced as the new boss of the Bangladesh national team on an interim basis. 

Shakib Al Hasan was then all set to play in his farewell Test at Mirpur as he intended, but only to return from Dubai amidst the protest and subsequent advice from the government.

The all-rounder was then ruled out of this Test and probably saw the end of his long-format career in India. 

Simmons, who arrived on Wednesday, has agreed that the outside events might play a role as far as the concentration of the team is concerned. 

‘That’s the big part of our job over the next few days, to make sure that the focus is on the cricket and not on the outside of cricket’, said Simmons in his first press conference after arriving in Bangladesh. 

 ‘I control what I can control. We can control how we prepare for Monday; that’s how I’m trying to get the team to focus.’

The Tigers will not have that much of a time, as the big series against the Proteas will start in no time. But Simmons also wants to see these as a blessing in disguise. 

‘For me, the good thing is we have a very important Test match to prepare for. We win the next few Tests, and we are in contention for the [WTC] final,’ said the West Indian.

‘My first port of call is about cricket and about getting the squad ready for Monday. The last two days [of training] have been brilliant. The guys have worked really hard. We have to try to leave out the confusion that’s around cricket and concentrate on preparing for Monday’, he added. 

Simmons, the former head coach of the West Indies, Afghanistan, Zimbabwe, and Ireland, hoped that his previous experiences would come to the fore. 

‘All these experiences will help me in the next few days to get the team ready for Monday. Afghanistan helped me with the language barrier sometimes. Ireland helped me with developing young players,’ he said.

‘It all comes in at the end of the day. I have to use all those experiences in this assignment.’

The new coach previously applied for the same job on two different occasions. This time he got the offer only ‘one and a half weeks ago’, and agreed. 

He said that the prospects of the young players in this country have prompted him to take the decision. 

 ‘The interest comes from seeing the quality of the young players. Watching them, they handled themselves well against Pakistan,’ said Simmons.

‘They didn’t do well in the T20Is against India, but they played against the best T20 team at present in the world, so you have things to take out of there.

‘It all added up to an assignment, which I enjoyed. One, [there are] young players to develop. Two, there’s Tests and ODIs—everything involved. So, it wasn’t a hard decision.’

But it could be hard times for him as some tough assignments await, starting with the South Africa series, an opponent whom Bangladesh never have beaten in Tests yet. 

Simmons, whose philosophy is ‘to work hard in your preparation and results will come’, though, remains hopeful.

‘I can’t say it’s been tough in two days. These are young players who performed not too long ago. To win in Pakistan is not an easy job.’

‘Development is hard with young players anywhere, but they have the desire in them, which I have (found out) chatting to them here’, he added. 

He also wants the players to enjoy themselves. He mentioned, ‘All international coaching jobs are hot seats. You might say Bangladesh is different. Pakistan is different. For me, it is a case of getting the players to play and enjoy everything and win matches. 

‘For us, it’s about getting prepared for the game. The seat is not hot. The last two days have been really good.’

Simmons is also hopeful to get a win over the Proteas this time.

 ‘It is definitely a good opportunity. Bangladesh are usually very strong at home. So it is a very good opportunity for them [Bangladesh] to win the Test series.’