Bangladesh head coach Phil Simmons asked for fans' patience and said the management is trying to achieve long-term improvement a day before his charges take on Zimbabwe in the second Test in Chattogram in a bid to avoid a shameful series defeat.

The Tigers were outdone by Zimbabwe in the first Test in Sylhet, losing the game by three wickets to go 1-0 down in the series.

The defeat to a side that has not won a Test in over four years has sparked outrage among fans, and the side has faced a lot of criticism since.

The Caribbean coach was sympathetic to the fans' frustrations and demanded more consistent performance from his players in the red-ball format.

"I'm asking for patience, especially from the Bangladeshi people. Their passion for cricket is unmatched. We're trying to put the right processes in place to ensure long-term improvement," Simmons told the media at the pre-match press conference in Chattogram today.

"The message to the players is that we had a few soft dismissals, and we must keep improving as we move forward. We can't afford to have good performances just once every two or three Tests; we need consistency," he added.

Bangladesh will be without speedster Nahid Rana in the second Test, as he will be off to Pakistan to take part in the Pakistan Super League (PSL).

The Tigers will lose firepower in their attack in Rana's absence, but Simmons was confident that the pacers he has in his squad will get the job done.

"We've lost pace, yes, but not skill. In these conditions, skill is often more important than sheer pace. Hopefully, our bowlers can extract turn and use their abilities to make an impact.

"Hasan Mahmud, Khaled Ahmed, and others bring valuable skills. [Tanzim] Sakib, although less experienced, also has potential. We believe we can still do well."