Simon Helmot, head coach of the Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB)- High Performance (HP) on Friday said that their prime objective is to groom young players of the U-19, Emerging Team, HP team and ‘A’ team for the national team and its back-up players.

Australia-born coach said that they want to develop their match experiences, skills, fielding and fitness through playing at different level of games at home and abroad to make them for the future national player.

“Every time we have ‘A’ team match, HP match, Emerging match, Under-19 match. Actually we are all preparing a player for the national team. No matter what the competition is,” said Simon Helmot.

“There are training, physical preparations, mental strategy- everything is developing the player for the national team. This is the main concern. We want to support the national team as best as we can. We need support Mushy, we need a support of Tamim, we need a support of Shakib. We need a support some of single player with the depth of the strength. For the national team and national squad we need these players keep pushing. We need Bangladesh cricket strong. And then, we will win Test matches abroad,” Helmot told media after their opening day practice session following the conclusion of the Eid vacation at the National cricket academy ground in Mirpur yesterday.

“We want to finish high in the international tournaments whether it is T20 World Cup in Australia in next year October or the four-year track of the next World Cup. Match experiences, skill development, fielding and strength and condition- these are the four things we need to keep improving. That will help a national team,” he added.

Expressing his identical views with the media, Helmot said the more players will be more experienced and matured the more they play at unknown condition against unfamiliar opposition.

He is worried about players getting more opportunities to play at unfamiliar condition against international oppositions, because he thinks, it is the best way for the players to be benefited.  

“Of course, it will increase the strength but I am not worried about strength. I’m worried about players getting good opportunities to perform against unfamiliar international opposition,” the HP head coach said.

“When you play for the national team, you play against the people (players) whom you don’t know very well in unfamiliar surrounds. We will play in the known condition but we will play against the bowlers, against the batsmen we might not know very well,” he thought.

When asked about his happiness with their development, Simon said that he is happy but they still need to improve that has no limit.

“They still need to improve. It’s my job to improve them. It’s the job of the overall coaches as well as job of the players also to keep straw and driving. So we need an opportunity to make them ready. Overall we’re getting them fit,” the head coach said. “Bad performing is at national level under pressure.

They need training, physical preparation, in the feeling, in a backfoot play, in a concentration to the ball to ensure when they play for the national side, it’s not new. The feeling will not be new. The feeling would be similar. The opposition might be new, the crowd might be new, the media attention will be new but the aim should be new,” he concluded.