P Simmons: Experienced racism in club cricket in UK when wife was pregnant, it was soul-destroying

[Abdullah719]

Phil Simmons acknowledges that the build-up to the series between his West Indies side and England has not exactly been orthodox. But among the enforced quarantine, intra-squad practice games and total lack of warm-up matches against county sides, Simmons believes the situation brought on by the coronavirus pandemic as one which his side can turn to their advantage.

That there will be a series at all is enough to celebrate. And Simmons is extremely grateful to the ECB for taking such strict measures to ensure the health and safety of his players.

“The bio-secure arrangements at Old Trafford have been very good,” he told i in an exclusive interview. “It’s only been our squad here at the venue and we’ve been able to move around freely in the area that we’ve been given which has included the playing field, the outdoor and indoor nets and the gym.

“We’ll see how it looks though when we get to Southampton as you will have the opposition there, the reporters, the commentators, so it could be different when we get down there, but so far it’s been brilliant.”

Simmons also has his mind on the other issue dominating the news agenda: race relations and the Black Lives Matter movement. As someone who was the victim of racist abuse while playing in the county game – he played for Durham and Leicestershire, as well as Wales Minor Counties – he echoes his captain Jason Holder’s sentiments that racism must be tackled more seriously in the game.

“I agree with what Jason said about racism in cricket and that it should be treated as seriously as match-fixing and doping,” Simmons said.

“Racism destroys people and I had my own experience of it when I was playing club cricket in the UK and it was soul-destroying for me and my wife who was pregnant at the time. Racism is about somebody’s heritage, somebody’s life, it digs so much deeper than match-fixing and things like that.”

With no domestic cricket currently being played in England, the hosts are likely to be only as prepared for the series as their counterparts and that according to Simmons could take away some of the home advantage.

“Our opponents are in the same boat as us and haven’t played any cricket for a while, so that is an area we will look at and it’s an area where we will look to put pressure on them,” he said.

“Having said that, they’ve been playing some excellent Test cricket the last few years and we will need to be at the top of our game to challenge them and we must seize any opportunities we are given. Our strength in the last three years has been our bowling especially in Tests, but now it’s time for the batsmen to do their job and give our bowlers something to bowl at.”

Whilst the extraordinary health-related restrictions are a new experience for all concerned, for Simmons who has previously coached Ireland and Afghanistan, this period actually represents a unique opportunity for players to hone their skills.

“In this training environment we’ve been able to push players a little bit more because you don’t all have to sit on a bus together and head back to the hotel as a group.

“This means that you can do extra individual work with some of the players who have needed a push, whilst those who have finished early can go back to their rooms. We’ve been able to do things properly and we’ve been able to individualise the training due to no time constraints.”

In an ideal world, the visitors would have liked a few practice games against county sides under their belt before the start of the Test series, but as Simmons explains, this could well be a blessing in disguise for his side.

“I don’t think the lack of match practice is a concern going into the first Test match. Sometimes you are preparing for a series and the quality of the local opposition isn’t really that good, or you are practising in the nets and the quality of some of the net bowlers isn’t that great.

“So, having the extra 10 players with the squad has been excellent, because the players are facing quality bowling all of the time within the squad and from that point of view, I’ve not missed the warm-up games at all.”

The absence of some key players to face a confident England team in home conditions is not the ideal scenario that West Indies would have envisaged.

However, instead of worrying about the missing players, Trinidad-born Simmons sees this as an opportunity for new players to make a name for themselves.

“Ideally I would have liked Shimron Hetmyer and Darren Bravo to have been on this tour as they would add a lot to the team, but I totally accept their reasons for not being here,” he reflected.

“At the same time their absence gives another player an opportunity to be a hero and I hope that the players we have brought in grab that chance that has been given to them by Hetmyer and Bravo’s absence.”

Once the domineering force of cricket, the decline of the West Indies has been alarming and a wake-up call to other nations. But Simmons, who made 169 international appearances, says the time is right to look forward and not back, and to ensure that the new talent is developed and not lost.

“Cricket remains the biggest sport in the Caribbean,” Simmons insisted. “Sometimes we look into things and try to find excuses as to why we are not as good as we once were and why we have been down for as long as we have.

“We’ve always had people looking to earn scholarships and go to the USA to play basketball and other sports, but I don’t think that is hampering our progress in cricket. We have enough good cricketers in the Caribbean who are keen to play cricket and it’s up to us to nurture and develop that talent as we have in the past.”

https://inews.co.uk/sport/cricket/phil-simmons-racism-west-indies-cricket-test-series-england-460529

 

[MenInG]

I cant imagine such racism could happen today!

Good point raised by Simmons about individual attention that players can get now due to current restrictions. Hope Pakistan coaches paying attention to this also.

 

[Robert]

Distressing to read.

 

[Saj]

I played club cricket in the area where he is referring to and I am not surprised.

I remember a friend of mine being racially abused at a match by a lad who was about 13 or 14, whilst his mother laughed.

Disgraceful people.

 

[MenInG]

President of the Barbados Cricket Association (BCA), Conde Riley, is wrong to ask for the immediate sacking of West Indies head coach, Phil Simmons.

I have great respect for Mr Riley, who has served Barbados and West Indies cricket admirably for more than 20 years, but his utterances this week were, in a word, irresponsible.

Mr Riley’s comments have created an issue where there should be none.

Here are the facts as I understand them.

Simmons had a death in his family and there was a funeral which would, if he were to go, place him at risk of contracting COVID-19 because he is now outside of the bio-secure controls at Old Trafford, Manchester where the West Indies cricket team is staying ahead of a three-Test series against England.

Once outside of the bubble, Simmons (and the coach must have been fully aware of this, put himself at the risk of adding to the 313, 483 cases of Coronavirus in the United Kingdom.

The CWI and the England and Wales Cricket Board had come up with a strategy for ensuring the safety of cricketers in this series, inclusive of protocols for when somebody has to leave the bio-secure environment.

Those protocols satisfied both parties that those inside the environment would be kept safe from those who come into it from outside.

Simmons would now be treated like somebody coming from outside and would have to self-isolate and go through testing before being re-integrated with those who had remained inside the bubble.

That being said, once all protocols are observed, there would be no risk to the players and/or staff, even if Simmons contracts COVID-19. So far, he has tested negative on two occasions.

The BCA president pointed out that he had received a number of phone calls from concerned parents and members of the BCA with concerns about the safety of the players, given Simmons’ actions.

However, as a member of the CWI board, Riley should have known that the protocols, put in place before the players left the Caribbean, would have meant no added risk because of Simmons’ exit and subsequent return. There should never have been this sort of knee-jerk reaction.

As a member of the CWI board, it should have been incumbent on Mr Riley to assure those calling, that the maintenance of the players’ safety had not been compromised.

Instead, Mr Riley fuelled an unjustified panic regarding the situation and ‘put pen to paper’ in an email to the board, that clearly spoke to an uninformed position.

"I just heard on the radio that our head coach Mr Phil Simmons attended a funeral recently and is now being quarantined as a result. If this is true, I am calling for his immediate removal as head coach,” read the email.

Simmons wasn’t being ‘quarantined as a result’. That was part of the protocol agreed to before he left. And the president of the BCA should never ben using language like “if this is true.” Why wouldn’t you get all the facts before penning such a potentially damaging missive?

Mr Riley went on to call Simmons’ behaviour “inconsiderate and reckless” but I submit that it was carefully planned and not reckless at all. There was no danger to anyone but Simmons himself.

Cricket West Indies had made a public statement about Simmons’ activities and Riley’s email runs in stark contrast to that.

"The entire process of his exit and re-entry to the bio-secure location was approved and managed by the medical teams of the CWI and the ECB and strictly followed protocols set up prior to the tour which addressed such scenarios," read the CWI statement.

How could Mr Riley and the CWI be so divergent in their views?

Mr Riley also suggested that the CWI be pro-active in anticipation of backlash from the English press.

No such backlash has come.

In fact, the only question that has come from the English press about Simmons’ actions, have had nothing to do with player safety.

Alzarri Joseph was asked if Simmons’ self-isolation would impact the ongoing practice game the West Indies are now playing in preparation for the first Test on July 8.

Joseph’s response was instructive.

According to the young fast bowler, the team of coaches was prepared for Simmons’ absence and everybody, including the players, already know what their jobs are.

Mr Riley should also know what his job is, and it isn’t to suggest that a coach be fired.

Now let’s hope the West Indies can put this behind them and get back to the business of retaining the Wisden Trophy at the end of #RaisetheBat series.

https://www.sportsmax.tv/index.php/...r-simmons-sacking-unjustifiable-irresponsible

 

[pillionrider]

Distressing to read.

Because you couldn't have imagined such a thing ever having happened?

 

[Robert]

I played club cricket in the area where he is referring to and I am not surprised.

I remember a friend of mine being racially abused at a match by a lad who was about 13 or 14, whilst his mother laughed.

Disgraceful people.

Shocked to read this [MENTION=9]Saj[/MENTION] and I expect it is getting worse due to Brexit and our dreadful excuse for a PM blowing dog whistles.

Some of us are still trying to be neighbourly to all people.

 

[Robert]

Because you couldn't have imagined such a thing ever having happened?

Am I not allowed to sympathise?

My wife is BAME, she suffers microaggression every day among a few full-on racist abuse incidents.

 

[MenInG]

West Indies coach Phil Simmons is in no danger of losing his job as he has the “full backing” of the country’s cricket board.

Simmons found himself in a soup after Cricket West Indies board member Conde Riley, who also heads the Barbados Cricket Association (BCA), had sought his “immediate removal” for moving out of the team’s bio-secure location in the UK to attend his father-in-law’s funeral ahead of the three-Test series against England beginning July 8.

But CWI chief Skerritt made it clear that Simmons job is “not in any way threatened“.

“I want to assure West Indies cricket fans that Phil Simmons still has the full backing of Cricket West Indies no matter what has been said. When all is said and done, Phil’s job is not in any way threatened by that letter,” Skerritt said during a conference call.

“He went through a very vigorous recruitment process nine months ago and was the best man we could have found for the job. He’s still the best man.”

Simmons is currently in self-isolation at the team’s on-site hotel at Old Trafford ahead of next week’s first Test in Southampton after being granted a request for compassionate leave before the squad left for Britain.

Simmons, who is in his second stint as West Indies coach, said he had no second thoughts about attending the funeral.

“This has not been an easy time for my family. My wife was very close to her father and his passing has hurt us. There was no question of me not going to the funeral,” said the 57-year-old former cricketer.

“My wife, my daughters and my son needed that support. Family is a huge thing for me.

“It won’t disrupt us, it will just make us a little stronger going into the Test series. Our focus is still on the series,” added Simmons, who first took up the position of West Indies coach in March 2015.

https://sportstar.thehindu.com/cric...ket-west-indies-president/article31968284.ece

 

[pillionrider]

Am I not allowed to sympathise?

My wife is BAME, she suffers microaggression every day among a few full-on racist abuse incidents.

Of course you are. And sorry to hear about your wife's experiences.

To me, it sounded like you were shocked to hear about this. Which was a misunderstanding on my part.

 

[MenInG]

After a gap of almost four months, international cricket is set to return amid the COVID-19 pandemic with England set to host West Indies for a three-Test series in a bio-bubble environment starting Wednesday.

The Caribbeans have plenty to ponder ahead of the Aegeas Bowl Test in Southampton; their team combination, meeting England with a new captain in Ben Stokes and the means to support the 'Black Lives Matter' movement across the globe.

Not using saliva on the ball and empty stadia are the common factors for both the sides.

Head coach Phil Simmons isn't sure if his team will kneel down to pay their respect to George Floyd, who was killed by police officers in Minneapolis in USA but they will find a way to do it. "It means a hell of a lot to all the players all the support staff on the tour. It’s something that it’s not just about now. It’s about life as a whole. We as a group don’t need to say, look this is going to motivate us. It motivates us all the time," Simmons said during a media interaction on Monday.

"That’s a part of our life. I am not sure whether we are going to touch our knee (to the ground). We’ll make a decision tonight as to what we can do but we’re definitely doing something. We’ve already had the logo put on the collar of our shirts, so that’s a start," he said.

When asked if the movement will lead to the team gelling better, he said: “I think in times when we played, there has always been rivalry with England. But as far as I am concerned, whenever you are part of West Indies as a player or a coach, we have been together as a unit. It doesn’t take the Black Lives situation to bring together.”

The West Indies head coach stated that the team is not too bothered about playing in front of empty stands since the islanders are used to playing at home with sparse crowd.

"I think, some of the time when we play in Caribbean, whether it is Test cricket or ODIs, there is not much crowd anyway. It doesn't hold such a barrier for us, I think," he said. "As cricketers when you are out there, you have to sometimes blackout the crowd. And this is ideal situation for that. When you walk in and just concentrate on the game. I think we will be fine with it," added Simmons.

He admitted that the two warm-up matches have helped the bowlers cope better with innovative ways of shining the ball.

"Not being able to put saliva on the ball is a huge thing because that’s what we’ve grown up with. But you must find other ways to do it. A couple of days in the practice game were hard but now we don’t have that headache. We have found other ways to shine the ball and keep the ball in shape,” he said.

 

[Robert]

Of course you are. And sorry to hear about your wife's experiences.

To me, it sounded like you were shocked to hear about this. Which was a misunderstanding on my part.

It’s cool.

 

[Saj]

Shocked to read this [MENTION=9]Saj[/MENTION] and I expect it is getting worse due to Brexit and our dreadful excuse for a PM blowing dog whistles.

Some of us are still trying to be neighbourly to all people.

I recall several incidents actually.

For a season or 2 I played for a team that had people from mainly a Pakistani background. It used to annoy the opposition so much when we'd speak in Urdu or Punjabi. In fact one umpire warned us about not speaking English and took the matter to the League Committee.

 

[MenInG]

Must be a very satisfied man!

 

[James]

Urgh. Sickening.

On one hand I’m pleased that cricketers of colour are now having the confidence to speak out about these incidents, but at the same time it’s difficult and upsetting (for them I’m sure, as well as other people) to confront these realities.

I truly hope that we can improve on these issues, and white people like me need to accept our shortcomings and ignorance in the past, and become the best allies that we can.

 

[MenInG]

West Indies coach Phil Simmons believes that the extended preparations after early arrival due to COVID-19 protocols have actually played a key part in his side’s four-wicket win over England in the first Test at Southampton.

West Indies, who arrived in England on June 9 and trained in a bio-secure environment after that, beat the home side by four wickets on Sunday on the final day of the first Test after the COVID-19 outbreak to take a 1-0 lead in the three-match series.

“I think that has been the biggest influence on the performance. The fact that we’ve been here for that period of time, we’ve had quality bowling in the nets because we’ve had nearly 11 seamers here, you can’t put a price on that,” he said on the eve of the second Test starting at Old Trafford on Thursday.

“I don’t like to go back into my (playing) days, but we would come to England and play something like three or four proper warm-up games before the first Test, and we would also have three-day or four-day games in between the Test matches. So I think that period of training goes a long way to how we performed in that first Test.”

While praising the resolve of his players in the first Test, especially Jermaine Blackwood’s decisive 95 on the final day and Shannon Gabriel’s nine-wicket haul in the match, Simmons warned the West Indies cricketers to guard against complacency.

“For me it was a great win because I think that it signified a lot of hard work being done by the players over the last four or five weeks. It was a top-class Test match, with good cricket played by both teams, and even coming down to the last hour, it could have gone either way.

“But you guard against complacency by just trying to do the same things you did before the first Test. Right now that Test match is history. We’ve got to be thinking about what we do from Thursday to Monday,” the 57-year-old former all-rounder said.

He said the first Test win is “history” and the focus should now be on the second match here.

“You don’t come to England and just win a Test match,” he said.

To come out on top. It’s been great for us, and it was important because you don’t want to have to chase England in England. So the chasing is from their point of view now.”

Simmons, in particular, heaped praise on pacer Gabriel, who was originally not in West Indies’ first-choice 14, but was later added to the squad after he proved his fitness post his return from an ankle surgery.

“The hardest time for bowlers, after bowling from the morning, is that last session,” Simmons said.

“To see him (Gabriel) and Alzarri (Joseph) come up trumps in that session is so pleasing to us. With him coming back from that ankle surgery and working as hard he has worked since we’ve been here, it was a joy to see him successful in that period.”

https://www.hindustantimes.com/cric...ver-england/story-xv91Jx46QSoOVVgijCY9CJ.html