As Ashwell Prince arrived in Dubai en route to Bangladesh, he was taken aback by the presence of Phil Simmons in the same travel group. However, this surprising reunion carries a twist, as Simmons is now Prince's fiercest rival, having taken the helm as the head coach of the Bangladesh cricket team. Prince, who is in Bangladesh as the batting coach for South Africa, shared his amusing sentiments in an interview with a South African media outlet.

The upcoming series marks a new chapter for Bangladesh, as they will be playing without their star all-rounder, Shakib Al Hasan, and under the guidance of Simmons. Interestingly, both Prince and Simmons traveled on the same flight from Dubai to Dhaka. Despite their shared journey, Prince expressed his concerns about the timing of the coaching changes, particularly in light of the recent departure of Chandika Hathurusingha.

"I was surprised to see Simmons in Dubai," Prince stated. "It was nice to meet him, but I wasn’t sure if he was also heading to Bangladesh. Later, I realized he was indeed on our flight, stepping in as the head coach."

Reflecting on the circumstances surrounding the coaching changes, Prince added, "Changing coaches right before a series is certainly not ideal. It’s never a good situation when a coach loses their job just before a series starts. That’s all I can say on the matter."

As both teams prepare for the series, the dynamics are set to shift significantly. With Prince eager to guide South Africa to success, and Simmons aiming to lead Bangladesh in this pivotal series, cricket fans can expect an intriguing showdown.