‘We are sort of settled’: Simmons backs Saif-Tamim opening partnership
Bangladesh head coach Phil Simmons has indicated that the team management is close to settling on an opening pair ahead of the upcoming ODI series against New Zealand, which begins on Friday.
Saif Hassan’s unbeaten 138 in Monday’s practice match appears to have strengthened his case to continue opening alongside Tanzid Tamim, the pair who featured in the recent series against Pakistan.
For all latest news, follow The Daily Star's Google News channel. “I think we are sort of settled because we had a good partnership in the last match. In the warm-up game here, Saif has shown that he is getting back to what we expect him to be. So, I think we are settled for now,” Simmons said.
Bangladesh have experimented with four different opening combinations over the past 12 months. Saif and Soumya Sarkar remain the most successful pair statistically, scoring 206 runs in three innings, while the Saif-Tanzid duo have amassed 163 runs in five innings.
The latter pair notably added 105 runs in the series-deciding third ODI against Pakistan, and the team management now seems inclined to persist with them. That could mean Soumya, who did not feature in the Pakistan series, may have to wait longer for his opportunity.
“My thoughts are still the same. Soumya is excellent. He played well against West Indies. (But) we had to make that choice. He missed a lot of cricket between West Indies, during BPL and leading up to DCL. So we had to make that choice and unfortunately for him, they did well, so he has to keep pushing to get back there,” Simmons said on Soumya.
Bangladesh will look to build momentum in the series against New Zealand as they aim to improve their standing in the rankings. With matches set to be played under natural light due to the ongoing energy crisis, conditions could pose an added challenge.
“It makes a little bit of a difference. I mean, playing (during) the day, wickets might grip a little bit more, it might be a little bit slower. But because the practices are at this time, we're trying to cater for that,” Simmons added.
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