He was also not impressed by the lack of preparation from the players ahead of the first Test against Pakistan
West Indies finished second from bottom in the recently-concluded World Test championship rankings, something Simmons said wouldn’t improve until the batters stepped their game up. “It’s the start of a new series and we’re trying to make sure things improve this cycle. But there’s no hiding from the fact our batting needs to improve and get to a healthy stage where we can get to 400 in an innings on a consistent basis.”
“A lot of the players said they didn’t get any work done in their home territories before this camp and the four-day game. It’s disappointing to find out there’s nothing done and we have to start from scratch here.”
Phil Simmons
He also declared himself unimpressed by the lack of background preparation the players had been able to achieve ahead of the first Test.
“There’s not enough work done before the players got here. A lot of the players said they didn’t get any work done in their home territories before this camp and the four-day game. It’s disappointing to find out there’s nothing done and we have to start from scratch here. Yes, it definitely is.”
“I think Hetmyer can be a world-class Test player when that time comes,” Simmons said. “I’m sure at some point he’s going to return to the Test squad. The experience he’s got from being here before he’ll make use of. He’s had a few incidents he’s not proud of but he’s maturing and I’m sure he’s going to get back into the Test squad at some point in time and show what he’s made of.”
The first Test begins on August 12 at Sabina Park. West Indies have not beaten Pakistan at the venue since 1977, with Pakistan winning the most recent encounter in 2017 by 136 runs.
Danyal Rasool is a sub-editor at ESPNcricinfo. @Danny61000