'Bangladesh people are emotional, I am not': Simmons urges Tigers to stay grounded

Bangladesh head coach Phil Simmons has urged his players to keep their emotions in check as the Tigers prepare for the second Test against Australia in Mackay on Sunday.

Simmons’ side dismantled Australia in the opening Test, securing a nine-wicket victory over the World Test Championship leaders in what is regarded as Bangladesh’s best-ever Test result. 

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The triumph sparked euphoric celebrations among players and fans at home and abroad, while earning widespread praise from the global cricket community.

"Yeah, Bangladesh people are emotional -- and I am not the same," the 63-year-old Trinidadian told reporters after the team’s training session at Harrup Park yesterday. "So it's easy for me, it's easy for me to control that, but it's difficult for them.

"But I think looking at them today, guys have settled back down. We've have had three days actually now, so guys have settled back down a lot and we hope that … we start on the right footing on Saturday morning."

Simmons described last week’s upset in Darwin as the best Test victory of his coaching career, which has included stints with five international teams.

"I've had other formats with big ones but, in Tests, this is the best," said Simmons, who has also coached Ireland, Zimbabwe, the West Indies twice and Afghanistan. "The only thing I had to say to them … is that Australia is going to come harder. So we have to either keep that level of performance or get a little bit better."

Simmons had declared the job only half done in a stirring post-Test address in the Marrara Stadium dressing room last week, urging his players to shift their focus towards securing a first-ever Test series win in Australia.

"It may not hit you all now how big this is, but at the end of your career you're going to look back on this as one of the biggest things you have achieved in your career," he told the players after their nine-wicket victory. "Because that team next door is not an easy team to beat."