Online Reporter
Eddie Chikamhi
Zimpapers Sports Hub
FORMER Zimbabwe coach Phil Simmons is back in the country to lead Bangladesh in a full bilateral series that begins this Sunday with a one-off Test match at Harare Sports Club.
The Tigers arrived in the country early yesterday for the tour that also includes three One-Day Internationals and three Twenty20 Internationals on the back of a mixed bag of results from their home white-ball series against Australia.
Bangladesh beat Australia 2-1 in the ODIs before succumbing to a 3-0 whitewash in the T20I series that concluded on Sunday.
The Tigers immediately left for Zimbabwe soon after the disappointing T20I series.
Simmons on the other hand, is looking forward to building from the gains they have accrued recently in Test cricket ahead of the one-off Test that begins this Sunday at Harare Sports Club.
The Tigers’ Test record of late has been impressive. Bangladesh beat Pakistan 2-0 in their most recent Test outing last month.
Before that, they had also outclassed Ireland by the same margin late last year, and Simmons feels his team is on the right path.
“The thing about it is that we’ve started playing cricket in a way that we want to play Test cricket, especially the last two matches against Pakistan is how we want to play the Test cricket. So that’s the way we’re going to go to Zimbabwe and try to play,” said Simmons.
Bangladesh emerged top against Pakistan when they won the first match by 104 runs before bagging the second by 78 runs. This was immediately followed by the visit to Australia, where they encountered mixed results.
Simmons said Bangladesh will not change their intensity.
“You’re playing Zimbabwe or you’re playing England. You’re playing Test cricket and you have to play to a certain standard.
“If you play in ODI or T20I, you have to play to a certain standard. It doesn’t matter who you’re playing against. That’s how I look at it.”
Simmons is familiar with Zimbabwe, where his coaching job began in 2003 as head coach of the CFX Academy before he was handed the Chevrons reins in 2004-05.
He has faced Zimbabwe a number of times with national teams such as Ireland, West Indies and Afghanistan.
Bangladesh and Zimbabwe have been close rivals, with 20 Tests and 81 played between the two teams in the last two decades.
The Tigers will also be looking to use the Zimbabwe tour as part of their build-up to the upcoming tour of Australia in August.
“Well, you could look at it as good preparation, but there’s work to be done when the Test boys come back. We have time before we go to Australia.
“There’s more work to be done before you go to Australia. It’s a different proposition in Australia than Zimbabwe. So, there’s more work to be done before we go there. But right now, concentrate on the Zimbabwe test match,” said Simmons.
The Tigers, however, will be without one of their star players, Litton Das, for the one-off Test. Das, who was replaced by Mahidul Islam, has not sufficiently recovered from a left calf strain that he picked up during the ODI series against Australia.
“The BCB medical team has assessed his condition and is of the opinion that the batsman will struggle to get match fit for the Test within the time available,” the BCB said in a press release.
Litton missed the three-match T20I series against Australia that finished on Sunday. Towhid Hridoy led in his absence as Bangladesh lost 3-0.
The eagerly awaited tour of Zimbabwe will get underway with a five-day Test match at Harare Sports Club from this Sunday.
The two teams will remain in Harare for the ODI series, with matches scheduled for July 6, 9 and 11 at the same venue.
The tour will then move to Bulawayo, where Queens Sports Club will host the T20I series on July 15, 17 and 19.
The two sides last met in a two-match Test series in Bangladesh last year, which ended one-all after Zimbabwe secured a memorable three-wicket victory in the opening Test — their first win in the format in four years — before succumbing to an innings defeat.
Bangladesh’s previous tour of Zimbabwe took place in July and August 2022, when the hosts delivered impressive performances to win both the T20I and ODI series 2-1 at Harare Sports Club.
The forthcoming series will mark Zimbabwe’s first home assignment of the year and their first international action since their historic campaign at the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026, co-hosted by India and Sri Lanka in February and March.
Under the tutelage of Justin Sammons, Zimbabwe captured global attention during the tournament after reaching the Super Eight stage for the first time in their history, with the team progressing through the group stage unbeaten and recording famous victories over Australia and Sri Lanka.
Bangladesh Test squad
Najmul Hossain Shanto (capt), Shadman Islam, Mahmudul Hasan Joy, Tanzid Hasan, Mominul Haque, Mushfiqur Rahim, Mahidul Islam (wk), Taijul Islam, Nayeem Hasan, Khaled Ahmed, Ebadot Hossain, Hasan Mahmud, Towhid Hridoy, Amite Hasan, Robiul Haque
