Simmons wants 'that 50-over mentality' quickly
Bangladesh are cramming extra training sessions into their schedule in a bid to shift their mindset from T20Is to ODIs ahead of the Champions Trophy. Head coach Phil Simmons is confident that the players can get themselves accustomed to the format despite not playing an ODI since December.
The BPL ended on February 7, and the following day, some of the players turned up at a training camp at the Shere Bangla National Stadium in Dhaka. These were mainly cricketers whose BPL teams had been knocked out before the final. The team will train in Dhaka till February 12, after which they leave for the Champions Trophy - their first match is against India in Dubai on February 20.
"I agree that it is not the best preparation, but they were playing white-ball cricket, which means that they are sharp skills-wise," Simmons said. "We have to get their minds up to 50-over cricket in the next six or seven days. They have the skills. They are performing. It is about getting to that 50-over mentality now. We will have double practice sessions in the next couple of days. We bat and bowl in the morning, and then do the same under the lights.
"We are getting ourselves prepared to bat for 50 overs. The first part of the preparation is about Dubai. Once we can get ourselves in the right frame of mind, and work on the right things for Dubai, I think we can start [preparations for] the rest the competition as well. We will get familiar conditions in Pakistan after that."
Captain Najmul Hossain Shanto is a worry, particularly because he hasn't played a lot in the last couple of months. Shanto missed the tour of the West Indies owing to a hamstring injury. His last international outing was in November last year. He returned with the National Cricket League T20s, and then played five games for Fortune Barishal in the BPL.
"He was working very hard all of those days when he wasn't playing," Simmons said. "We are going to need a strong mental attitude from everyone in the team. I think he possesses that, so I look forward to him continuing his work."
Simmons admitted that Nahid Rana's drop in pace towards the back-end of the BPL was a concern, but he was relieved since Rana has upped his pace in the training sessions.
"He has looked slower than normal in the last couple of games. The run-up was less than normal approaching the wicket," Simmons said. "They [Rangpur Riders] got knocked out early so he had a bit of rest. He looked sharp in training yesterday. The pace was coming back. The run-up was as quick as it was in the Caribbean."
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