Dubai: Bangladesh head coach Phil Simmons has dismissed the notion that India are an “unbeatable” side, insisting that results in T20 cricket come down to what happens on the day. His comments come ahead of Bangladesh’s high-stakes Asia Cup Super 4 encounter against reigning world champions India in Dubai on Wednesday.
Fresh from a confidence-boosting win over Sri Lanka, Simmons said his squad is eager to test itself against the tournament favourites. “Every team has the ability to beat India,” the 62-year-old coach declared. “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.”
Simmons, who represented a formidable West Indies outfit in the late 1980s and ’90s, understands the intensity surrounding an India clash and wants his players to embrace the spectacle. “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.”
He praised the Dubai International Cricket Stadium pitches for offering true surfaces, suggesting that the toss may not play a decisive role. “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 for batting. Bowlers had to bowl properly. I don’t think the toss has that much of an effect.”
With the punishing September heat adding to the challenge of back-to-back fixtures, Simmons acknowledged the physical strain on his squad but expressed faith in their preparation.
“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.”
The coach also singled out senior left-arm seamer Mustafizur Rahman for stepping up as a leader within the group. “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.”
While T20 cricket has become increasingly data-driven, Simmons stressed that his approach is about clarity and consistency rather than excessive risk-taking. “I don’t know about risk in the 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.”
As for the inevitable criticism that comes with leading Bangladesh cricket, Simmons said he remains unflustered. “…as long as I’m confident and my staff and I, 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.”
Keeping his emotions in check, the veteran coach reiterated that Bangladesh’s ambitions extend beyond a single big win. “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.”
(IANS)
