Bangladesh head coach Phil Simmons believes Litton Das’s absence would give another batter an opportunity to prove his worth as the Tigers prepare for their two-Test series against the West Indies.

Litton, Bangladesh’s regular wicketkeeper-batter and white-ball captain, has been struggling with hip-joint discomfort. Although his recent scan reportedly revealed no major concerns, his availability remains a key issue ahead of the upcoming Test series.

Simmons acknowledged that Bangladesh would miss a batter of Litton’s calibre but stressed the importance of having players ready to step up when a regular member of the team is unavailable.

“Well, we will always miss a player of that class, you know. It's a gift, but again, it gives an opportunity to somebody else to come and hold that spot and help us to win the game,” Simmons said.

“That’s what we’ve been trying to produce in here, that when somebody is out, somebody else comes in and fixes that position and does what is necessary in that position. So, hopefully whoever is batting in his position in the upcoming game will fulfil that.”

Bangladesh will host the Caribbean side in a two-match series as part of the ICC World Test Championship 2025–27 cycle. The opening Test is scheduled to take place at the Sher-e-Bangla National Cricket Stadium in Mirpur from 28 October to 1 November, while the second Test will be held at the Sylhet International Cricket Stadium from 5 to 9 November.

All-rounder Mehidy Hasan Miraz is expected to join the Bangladesh squad for the second Test in Sylhet, providing the hosts with another experienced option for the latter part of the series.