Simmons said West Indies are eyeing to directly qualify for the 2023 World Cup.
West Indies head coach Phil Simmons was not pleased with the short preparation time in the buildup to the upcoming three-match ODI series in Bangladesh given the fact that the series is part of the ICC ODI Super League which offers the chance to directly qualify for the 2023 World Cup.
West Indies team has arrived in Bangladesh on January 10 and was subject to three days of hotel room quarantine before beginning practice at the BCB academy from January 14.
They'll have five days of practice and an intra-squad game starting January 18 to acclimatize to conditions before the tour comprising 3 ODIs and 2 Tests gets underway with the first ODI on January 20 in Dhaka.
The upcoming ODI series against Bangladesh is very important for West Indies, given the context of the ODI League points on offer in the series and Simmons said they are eyeing a direct route to the 2023 World Cup as they don't want to get into the “playoffs anymore”.
Simmons said: “It is never enough for me (preparation time). I think that I would have liked the sort of time we had in New Zealand but this is what we have, and we try to fit in as much as we can in that period. It is mighty important because you have to catch up on the series. We don't want to get into the [World Cup] playoffs anymore. We need to start well.”
West Indies are underdogs in Bangladesh because they don’t have their 12 first-choice players, who pulled out of the tour either due to COVID-19 concerns or personal reasons, but the head coach hopes the uncapped players would stand up and prove their credentials in the upcoming series.
He noted, “They have all impressed me. They have all had that hunger in their eyes. They have all tried to do everything that we say. They work hard in their game. They have all impressed me.”
Last time, West Indies were whitewashed in a two-match Test series and also suffered a 1-2 loss in the ODI series in Bangladesh on the back of the four-pronged spin attack and Simmons expected another spin trail in the upcoming series, as well as the hosts, have already included four spinners Shakib Al Hasan, Taijul Islam, Mehedy Hasan and Mehidy Hasan in their squad.
He signed off by saying, “They still have their four main spinners. Whether they use two or three fast bowlers, is something they might try to change to. It could mean that we get much better pitches to play on, from a point of view of better batting wickets.
You never know. It could be a good thing, but the four spinners will still be there. I am hoping that whether they play four or five spinners, it plays into our hands, and it plays a role in how we think about it. We seem to be underdogs, so I hope it lifts us rather than who they are playing.”
(With Cricbuzz Inputs)