Playing the maiden test in India makes it all the more challenging: Afghanistan coach Phil Simmons

The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) announced in December last year that Team India will be hosting Afghanistan for their first ever international Test match at some point in the summer of 2018. It was later announced that the match will be held at the Chinnaswamy stadium in Bengaluru. From what their newly appointed coach Phil Simmons said, Afghanistan cricket team has a rigorous training scheduled leading up to their maiden Test starting June 14.

Before this, the team has played four-day matches with the associate nations and also won the ICC Inter-continental tournament twice. They are the defending champions right now, having won the last in December. But even though Afghanistan have some pretty good experience in playing the longer format of the game, facing the No.1 ranked team India in their home is a different challenge altogether.

Playing India makes it more challenging

Simmons hopes that playing the top-ranked Test team in their inaugural match will be a challenging yet enriching experience for the boys.

“These boys have played four-day cricket with the associate nations and have done well. But Test matches are going to be a different ball game. The boys will realise this very soon and playing India makes it all the more challenging,” he was quoted as saying on TOI.

As per the coach, the toughest challenge would be to prepare everyone in the team physically and mentally for the demanding five-day routine of a Test match.

“So it is not like they have no idea about the longer format of the game. Test matches are all about patience, both in batting and bowling, and let me tell you it is a big adjustment. And that is what we need work on majorly over the next six weeks,” he stated.

However, Simmons has high hopes for the team and said that a lot will depend on the bowling department. A few Afghan bowlers are currently playing in the Indian Premier League (IPL), and he is confident that the tournament will do a lot of good for the future of Afghan cricket.

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