DHAKA, April 27, 2025 (BSS)-Bangladesh head coach Phil Simmons urged the
cricketers to put on improved performance in the second and final Test in a
bid to avoid a first ever series sweep against Zimbabwe in this format on
home soil.

The hosts suffered a batting meltdown in the first cricket Test in Sylhet to
suffer a three-wicket defeat, which was the first defeat against Zimbabwe
since 2018.

"I think we know that as a unit we didn't bat properly in the first innings
(Sylhet Test)," Simmons said ahead of the final test, starting tomorrow
(Monday) at Bir Shrestha Matiur Rahman Stadium in Chattogram.

"We put ourselves in problems. We want to play a brand of positive Test
cricket, not just going for 200 runs in a day."

Simmons warned the players to curb the habit of playing loose shots, which
was instrumental in their collapse as a batting group in both innings of the
first Test.

"We can't have this (loose shots) for one, two or three Tests (in a row),"
Simmons said.

"My message to them is that there were a few loose shots and some soft
dismissals but we need to make sure that we improve as we go along."

Bangladesh called up Anamul Haque Bijoy for the second Test after three
years, replacing Zakir Hasan and released the fast bowler Nahid Rana for
Pakistan Super League (PSL).

Bijoy is expected to replace one of the openers in the team since
Bangladesh's opening pair continued to fail to give solid start.

"Our opening partnership has given us problems for a while," Simmons said,
stressing the needs to have good start.

We pick players who play at their tempo and the aggressive part comes into
running between the wickets, attitude when you get to the wicket, attitude on
the field, he said.

"It doesn't necessarily mean that you have to score at five runs an over.
Some days you can bat at five, other days you will bat at two or three (runs
an over)."

At the same time, Simmons also stressed on taking 20 wickets to win the Test
even though the bowlers continued to shine amid the batters failure.

"I think you need five bowlers in Test cricket. We have a top-class bowling
allrounder in Miraz. I don't think we are going in that direction. You must
have five bowlers to take 20 wickets."

Despite releasing Nahid Rana for PSL, Simmons thinks the bowling strength
doesn't lessen.

"I don't think we lost strength. We lost pace," he said. "There's nobody here
with Rana's pace."

"But the skills are there however, especially how to bowl in Chattogram. It
has always been a slower wicket. Hopefully we can extract a bit of turn and
the seamers can do the job with their skills."

He backed other pacers to come good in absence of Nahid.

"Our pacers have skills. Hasan (Mahmud) has taken five-fors in Pakistan,
which is not far different from here," he said.

"Khaled (Ahmed) has done well. (Tanzim Hasan) Sakib hasn't played that much
but we know what he can bring to the attack. We still have the skills and
depth from the seamers."

Simmons indicated the Chattogram pitch will assist the spinners in later part
of the match.

"The wicket looks extremely good. It is hard and flat. It is a bit dry, but
we can extract something that hasn't been there," he said adding that a bit
of turn later on in the Test match will be good for Bangladesh.