Bangladesh’s Darwin triumph felt like Argentina’s World Cup games, says Phil Simmons

Speaking in an interview with Indian sports outlet RevSportz, Simmons said the victory was much more than a cricket result, describing it as an emotional moment for millions of Bangladeshis.

“We were comparing it a little bit to Argentina winning the World Cup. Because the scenes we saw on the streets of Dhaka during the football World Cup, yesterday felt very similar to that.”

Although there were no major street celebrations after the Test victory, Simmons said the overwhelming reaction from around the country and the wider cricket world showed just how significant the result was.

He said he received messages from people across Bangladesh and was struck by the emotions surrounding the victory.

“The messages I got from people were really great. Especially because not many people believed that something like this could happen on this tour in Australia. But now I understand what this win means to the people of Bangladesh.”

Bangladesh returned to Australia for a Test series after a gap of 23 years and stunned the hosts in Darwin, completing a famous nine-wicket victory in just three and a half days.

Najmul Hossain Shanto’s side dominated every session of the Test, producing an outstanding all-round performance to secure Bangladesh’s first Test victory on Australian soil.