Bangladesh national team coach Phil Simmons feels that the preparation for the Champions Trophy is not ideal. He spoke with the media on Monday at Sher-e-Bangla National Cricket Stadium.

While teams like South Africa, New Zealand, England, and Pakistan are actively engaged in the ODI series to fine-tune their preparation, Bangladesh is heading into the tournament directly after a lengthy season of the BPL.

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“I admit that this is not the best preparation,” said Simmons. “But one thing I will say is that they have been playing, and it has been white-ball cricket. That means they are sharp from the skill aspect.”

Bangladesh’s preparation for the Champions Trophy started on Saturday, but some players are still on leave after BPL. The team has less than two weeks of a gap between BPL and the Champions Trophy.

Bangladesh played ODI matches more than two months ago, creating a lack of 50-over match practice for them.

“I think that over the next six-seven days, we need to get them into the mindset of 50-over cricket,” Simmons added. “They have the skills. We have seen them perform. So, getting into that 50-over mindset is the key thing.”

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To address the deficiency in match practice, the coaching panel has planned double batting and bowling sessions for the cricketers during the preparation phase.

The Bangladesh team will depart for the UAE on Thursday night and will have a few days of practice there. They will play their first match against India on February 20th.