Gros Islet – West Indies head coach Phil Simmons said the Test series win against Bangladesh, which extended the Caribbean men’s recent winning streak, will boost their confidence as they prepare to face a tough Australia side later in the year.
Speaking after the 2-0 series victory, which followed their series triumph over England in March this year, Simmons was full of praise for the entire team.
The Windies will face the Aussies in a two-Test series, with matches starting on November 30 in Perth and December 8 in Adelaide, and the coach said the recent wins should give them a boost.
“It should give us confidence, and we’ve got time to prepare to go to Australia,” he said. “Australia is always a difficult series, no matter what team you’re going down there with, so we have to make sure we prepare well and continue our winning.”
Asked about the highlights of the Bangladesh Tests, Simmons gave the fast bowlers kudos.
“I don’t think the first pitch [in Antigua] was conducive to fast bowling, but we still sauntered on and at the end of the day, we got them out for low scores, and in (the second) Test, to bowl them out on the first day on what was a slow (pitch) by comparison to (pitches) we get here… I think the fast bowlers have to get a lot of credit throughout the series,” he said.
Simmons said pacer Anderson Phillip also gave a good account of himself on his Test debut in St Lucia, although there were some nerves.
“I think he had a good debut – two wickets earlier on – but [he had] a little bit of cramp,” Simmons said. “I think that comes with all the nervousness that goes into your first Test match.
“If you’re not nervous something is wrong, and I think he was nervous, and it didn’t help him. But I think he bowled well when given the ball… so I think he had a very good debut.”
Another player for whom Simmons reserved special mention was all-rounder Kyle Mayers whom he said “brings in the wicket-taking factor” and will become “a force to be reckoned with”.
(CMC)