Bangladesh head coach Phil Simmons said he remains hopeful that cricket in the country will resume in full swing soon. Simmons, who is expected to depart later on Tuesday night (January 28) for a short vacation, told Cricbuzz that he was optimistic about the return of both domestic and international cricket in Bangladesh in the near future.

The former West Indies all-rounder arrived in Bangladesh midway through the Bangladesh Premier League (BPL) to assess his players ahead of the ICC Men's T20 World Cup. Bangladesh, however, will not be participating in the event after the Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) decided not to travel to India due to security concerns, prompting the ICC to replace them with Scotland.

On Wednesday morning, Simmons was present at the Sher-e-Bangla National Cricket Stadium in Mirpur, where he spent time inspecting the central wicket. He was also seen in discussion with BCB curator Tony Hemming before visiting the BCB Academy Ground to observe the greenhouse facilities.

Simmons confirmed to this website that he will return to Bangladesh ahead of the team's next international assignment, a home series against Pakistan scheduled under the Future Tours Programme (FTP) in March.

Bangladesh are scheduled to host Pakistan for a three-match ODI series on March 12, 14 and 16. The Test matches of the tour will be played later in May, after the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) earlier proposed splitting the tour into two phases due to the Pakistan Super League (PSL).

Meanwhile, uncertainty continues to surround domestic cricket due to the national election, which is set to take place on February 12.

The BCB's tournament committee had initially planned to launch the country's first-ever Under-23 Bangladesh Cricket League (BCL) in February, a week after the election. Following the four-team Under-23 competition, the BCB was also planning to stage the BCL four-day tournament in early April.

However, with national players now free throughout February - owing to Bangladesh's absence from the T20 World Cup - the BCB's tournament committee is considering rearranging the schedule. Under the revised plan, the BCL four-day competition could begin soon after the election, while the Under-23 BCL may be pushed back to April.

When asked about the future of domestic fixtures, Simmons expressed cautious optimism. "BCL will be, I think, after election," Simmons said.

"Hopefully cricket will be back by then," he said, without elaborating further, a response that suggested he was reluctant to add fuel to the ongoing sensitivities surrounding the BCB's stance on domestic tournaments and the board's broader relationship with the ICC and BCCI.