Afghanistan coach Phil Simmons says his team was naive when it comes to the rigours of Test cricket.
“30 per cent of the blame for this defeat falls on letting the occasion get to them, and the rest is down to naivety on what Test cricket is all about. You can play as many four-day First Class cricket as you want, but when you play a Test, the difference shows in a big way,” Simmons said on Friday.
A few ‘A’ tours will help bridge the gap between Afghanistan and top Test nations, Simmons believes.
“There has to be a lot more ‘A’ matches, against teams from England, India, Bangladesh and so on. That’s the best way to close the gap. The learning curve for us is huge. It’s a mountain to climb," he said.
The former West Indies all-rounder stated that it would also help if an Afghanistan side — either an 'A' team or the full international team — plays in Indian domestic competitions.
“The two boards have spoken about it, but I don’t know how far they got with the talks. They (BCCI) will have to let us know about the details of the arrangement.”
