Bangladesh’s head coach, Phil Simmons, acknowledged that the team’s preparation for the ICC Champions Trophy hasn’t been ideal but expressed hope that his players will quickly get back into the ODI mindset before the tournament kicks off.
“I agree that the preparation hasn’t been perfect. But they’ve been playing white-ball cricket, so their skills are sharp,” Simmons shared during a press conference in Mirpur.
“We just need to get their focus on 50-over cricket in the next six or seven days. They’ve got the skills and are performing well; now it’s about shifting to that 50-over mentality,” he added.
Currently, the Bangladesh squad is in a training camp in Mirpur, which began right after the Bangladesh Premier League (BPL) final on February 7. While teams like India, Pakistan, South Africa, New Zealand, and England are in the midst of the ODI series leading up to the Champions Trophy, Bangladesh has just wrapped up over a month of T20 competition.
Bangladesh announces Champions Trophy squad, drops Shakib & Liton
Despite the short turnaround, Simmons is confident, saying, “We haven’t noticed any lingering effects from the BPL during our training so far. The players are focused on getting match time to adjust to the long format—batting for extended periods and bowling in the right areas for 50-over cricket. I don’t think this will have any negative impact.”
The team will depart for the UAE on February 14, with their opening Group A match against India scheduled for February 20.
