Litton Das to Take No. 5 Spot in ODI Batting Lineup, Says Bangladesh Coach Simmons

Bangladesh coach Phil Simmons has confirmed that wicketkeeper-batter Litton Das will bat at number five in the upcoming ODI series against Pakistan. He believes Das has the ability to play spin well, which is why placing him in the middle order will be beneficial for the team.

While speaking at the pre-match press conference, Phil Simmons said that middle order batting has been an issue for the Bangladesh team for quite some time. So, the management is now backing Litton Das to play in that position to provide some stability to the team.

"First of all, it is very difficult to keep [wicket for] 50 overs and then come and open the batting. [Litton] is also one of our better players of spin bowling. The middle order has been one of our Achilles heels. So, him going down there with his experience and his skills, hopefully we can get what we need there." said Bangladesh coach, Phil Simmons.

Simmons also said that Das himself understands the need of the team, which is why he accepted to play in that position happily without making any excuses.

"He has been comfortable batting anywhere. I think he's a lot more relaxed with his game and he sees it as an opportunity to do what the team needs of him. We didn't have to convince Litton for anything.” said Phil Simmons.

“All we asked was, 'this is what the team needs', and he was happy to do it. He is happy to do anything for the team, when he is captain, he's happy to do it for us now. So, we didn't have to convince him for anything." added Phil Simmons.

The head coach added that the team has overcome the disappointment of not featuring in the T20 World Cup 2026 and is now concentrating on the upcoming series against Pakistan.

"I think we are at that stage now where we're getting past that. It was very hurtful for the guys," Simmons said. "I've been talking to them. It was very, very hurtful. But I think we're getting to the stage and I think BCL [Bangladesh Cricket League] helped with that little tournament. So we started to get back to the frame of playing 50-over cricket and thinking about these three matches here. So, I think we we're getting there." said Phil Simmons.