Phil Simmons also stressed on mental strength and suggested that the team take inspiration from their performance during the 2017 tour.
West Indies coach Phil Simmons. (Photo: Surjeet Yadav/IANS)
West Indies coach Phil Simmons has highlighted that the batsmen cannot continue to underperform in their tour of England when the three-match Test series begin from July 8.
He also stressed on the importance of mental strength and suggested that the team take inspiration from their performance during the 2017 tour when West Indies had stunningly won the second Test in Headingley after a thrashing in the first Test.
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“I think the batters have worked hard on getting to a mental stage of where they need to be because most of them have scored runs here,” Simmons told the “Cricket, on the Inside” webinar in conjunction with the Lord’s Taverners and Black Opal, on Friday, as quoted by news agency Reuters.
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“(Shay) Hope has got back-to-back hundreds here. It’s about getting to the mental stage where you are prepared for a test match in England, because it’s different to many other places.
“The next three days of practice is about sharpening up the skills. But mentality is the big thing,” Simmons explained.
Talking about the 2017 tour, he said, “We are drawing on that. The test match before Headingley we were horrible and that seems to be like that most times we go on tour. We are trying to make sure that bad match is taken out of the equation and we start properly.
“We are playing against one of the best test teams in the world and we need to start on the front foot. We’re trying to bring back memories of Headingley and get the psychology right.”
England and West Indies will play the series in a bio-secure environment. The first Test is scheduled to be played at the Ageas Bowl in Southampton (July 8-12) with the second and third matches at Old Trafford in Manchester from July 16-20 and then July 24-28.
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