With just days to go before the South Africa series, the Bangladesh cricket team experienced an unexpected coaching shakeup. Chandika Hathurusingha was replaced, and Phil Simmons stepped in as the new head coach. While the initial impression of Simmons has been positive, Bangladesh captain Najmul Hossain Shanto believes it's too early to fully evaluate the new coach’s impact.

In a recent press conference, Shanto shared his thoughts on the new coach, emphasizing that Simmons hasn't tried to enforce his own tactics immediately. Instead, he’s taking the time to understand the team. "There have been a lot of changes in the last five days. When Simmons arrived, he didn’t come with a fixed plan because he’s new and is still trying to get a feel for the team," Shanto said.

Shanto made it clear that, for now, the players will follow their established style and strategies. "As players, and me as a captain, we know how we want to play. Everyone knows their responsibilities. I’ve shared my plans with Simmons, and he’s on board. We've played a lot of matches on this ground and have valuable experience here. I don’t think we need to align everything with the previous or current coach. The team is very familiar with the conditions here."

While Simmons has only been with the squad for a short time, Shanto’s early experience with him has been positive. "So far, things have been great. He’s joined us since his arrival and has interacted with the players. We’ve discussed various matters, and he’s been trying to understand the team environment. However, he’s still very new, and we don’t fully know him yet either. I hope that within one or two Test matches, we’ll find a good rhythm together."

When asked about the recently departed coach Hathurusingha, Shanto was diplomatic, stating, "There were both good and bad times. We won some matches, and we lost some. But now we have to look forward. Looking back won’t help. What matters is how well we perform in the upcoming Tests."