S
SEARCH
M
SW

West Indies

/esi/1339/6_A_3_402359_0/index.html?art_id=402359&ESI

Phil Simmons looking to stave off threat of West Indies "boredom"

:Headline: Phil Simmons looking to stave off threat of West Indies 'boredom': ID:402359: from db_amp
The Windies head coach is wary of boredom creeping in as his side hunker down in Manchester.

West Indies head coach Phil Simmons has revealed how "explosive" games of dominoes are playing their part in helping his players avoid cabin fever during their quarantine at Emirates Old Trafford.

A 25-man squad landed in Manchester on Tuesday ahead of next month's Test series, heading straight to Lancashire's ground where they are combining a training camp with a mandatory 14-day quarantine.

A normal tour of England would involve a variety of cities, restaurants and tourism opportunities but by training and staying on-site in a 'bio-secure' bubble for the duration of the trip, the possibility of restlessness is one Simmons is well aware of.

And while the England and Wales Cricket Board has helped provide some diversions, a popular past-time from back home is also playing its part.

"The biggest challenge is boredom," said Simmons.

"We all have locked down for a number of months whichever part of world we've been in. Boredom is something we have to monitor, we have to make sure practice is entertaining and the down time is entertaining too.

The West Indies are spending their quarantine period at Emirates Old Trafford (Peter Byrne/PA)

"There's always dominoes – as you can imagine if you've been to the Caribbean that is a highly explosive form of entertainment, especially when you're playing Six Love.

"We've been playing games in a games room, we have a golf simulation centre, we have cards, a few things the guys are enjoying. We have some characters, including the captain Jason Holder, who keeps everything lively."

Cricket fans in England have been given their own fix of home entertainment in the build-up to the sport's long awaited return, with the BBC replaying classic encounters against the great Windies side of the 1980s on television and radio.

Many of the current generation have spoken about the need to make their own way in the game, unburdened by the towering achievements of the past, but Simmons is keen for them to reconnect on some level with what came before.

The 57-year-old, who played 26 Tests and 143 ODIs between 1988 and 1997, said: "I'm not too sure how close some of the younger players are (to the past) but we're trying to bring that back, get younger guys to understand where we've come from in terms of being top of the world for such a long time," he said.

"Last week I saw the Lord's Test (from 1984) where Gordon Greenidge scored a double century on the last day. Sometimes when you know the whole West Indies saga is coming from it gives you more impetus to be pushing forward to get the team back on top.

"It's something we are trying to do back home as much as possible."

amp_article_402359 : Database Data restored...  : 
last updated article - 2020-06-13 16:57:28:
html db last update - 2020-06-25 10:10:16 :

ex - 7200 : read : read cache amp html

Click here for more stories about Phil Simmons

Click here for more stories about West Indies

Share this article now:
Show comments
Read more about Phil Simmons Cricket
Premier League Table
TeamPWDLFAGDPTS
1Liverpool31282170214986
2Manchester CityMan City30203776314563
3Leicester CityLeicester31167859293055
4Chelsea30156953401351
5Manchester UnitedMan Utd311310848311749
6Wolverhampton WanderersWolves311213644341049
7Tottenham HotspurSpurs31129105041945
8Sheffield UnitedSheff Utd31111193031-144
9Crystal Palace31119112836-842
10Everton31118123846-841
11Arsenal3091384141040
12Burnley30116133445-1139
13Newcastle UnitedNewcastle31109122942-1339
14Southampton30114153852-1437
15Brighton & Hove AlbionBrighton31712123441-733
16Watford30610142845-1728
17West Ham UnitedWest Ham3176183554-1927
18Bournemouth3176182950-2127
19Aston Villa3176183659-2327
20Norwich CityNorwich3156202556-3121
Scroll for more - Tap for full version

Subscribe to our Newsletter


Transfer Talk Daily
Match previews - twice weekly
Morning Briefing (7am UTC)
UC
Get the latest transfer news, match previews and news direct to your inbox!

Loading ...

Failed to load data.

Premier League Table
TeamPWDLFAGDPTS
1Liverpool31282170214986
2Manchester CityMan City30203776314563
3Leicester CityLeicester31167859293055
4Chelsea30156953401351
5Manchester UnitedMan Utd311310848311749
6Wolverhampton WanderersWolves311213644341049
7Tottenham HotspurSpurs31129105041945
8Sheffield UnitedSheff Utd31111193031-144
9Crystal Palace31119112836-842
10Everton31118123846-841
11Arsenal3091384141040
12Burnley30116133445-1139
13Newcastle UnitedNewcastle31109122942-1339
14Southampton30114153852-1437
15Brighton & Hove AlbionBrighton31712123441-733
16Watford30610142845-1728
17West Ham UnitedWest Ham3176183554-1927
18Bournemouth3176182950-2127
19Aston Villa3176183659-2327
20Norwich CityNorwich3156202556-3121
Scroll for more - Tap for full version
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
X

We value your privacy

A part of our GDPR compliance we need to ask for your consent. We and our partners use technology such as cookies on Sports Mole to personalise content and ads, provide social media features, and analyse our traffic. Click below to consent to the use of this technology on Sports Mole.