Bangladesh and West Indies series opens with WTC27 final ambition in focus

Bangladesh head coach Phil Simmons said the desire to reach the ICC World Test Championship 2025/27 final is driving his team ahead of its Test series against West Indies. The series begins on 28 October in Mirpur, and Simmons described the final as a goal and desire for the team.

Bangladesh began the current WTC cycle with a series loss against Sri Lanka, then defeated Pakistan 2-0 and secured a historic win in a drawn series in Australia. Two home series, including the West Indies assignment, and an away tour of South Africa leave Bangladesh with a chance to reach the final.

Bangladesh most recently played a one-off Test against Afghanistan in Abu Dhabi, where it took a first-innings lead and set a target of 479 after declaring. Afghanistan drew the match, and Simmons said Bangladesh should have won; he cited a missed run-out and dropped catches while rejecting the view that his batters misread the situation.