Coach Phil Simmons addressed the team’s preparedness for the Afghanistan encounter and the loss. Mehidy Hasan Miraz, the former captain of Bangladesh, was unable to attend the game against Zimbabwe as a result of a fever.

Mehidy attended a practice session in Abu Dhabi on Monday, October 19, marking the first time since the Test series against Afghanistan that he emerged from his hotel room.

As part of the 2026 Afghanistan Tri-Nation Series, which takes place in the United Arab Emirates from October 17 to 23, Bangladesh will play Afghanistan in an ODI match at Sharjah Cricket Stadium on October 21, 2026. Zimbabwe is also represented in the tournament. Bangladesh Cricket Board president Tamim Iqbal convened an extended meeting with players and coaching staff in the dressing room following their opening fixture against Zimbabwe, which resulted in a 99-run loss.

Simmons, on the other hand, provided an alternative interpretation of the president’s message.

After failing a fitness assessment prior to the Zimbabwe match, Litton Das, who succeeded Mehidy as captain, was disqualified from the entire tri-nation series. Bangladesh confronted Zimbabwe without both Mehidy and their new captain, which presented the team with additional obstacles.

Confronting the Zimbabwean defeat

Simmons, in contemplation of Bangladesh’s batting collapse against Zimbabwe, stated that the team, despite a promising start, failed to adequately evaluate the situation. After the defeat, Tamim Iqbal, the president of the Bangladesh Cricket Board, conducted a lengthy meeting with the players and team management in the dressing room that lasted until the late hours of the nite.

The reports indicated that Tamim was dissatisfied with the team’s direction and had expressed his dissatisfaction in a forceful manner.

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