Deeply ashamed: Salahuddin apologises after Asian Games failure

Bangladesh coach Mohammad Salahuddin admitted the team were deeply ashamed and apologised to the nation after the Tigers’ Asian Games campaign ended in a historic medal failure with a 63-run defeat to a second-string Sri Lanka in the bronze-medal playoff in Nisshin.

To be honest, we are deeply ashamed, Salahuddin said after the defeat. As a coach, I feel that we have failed, and we have not been able to deliver what was expected of us. It is very disappointing, and I want to apologise to the entire nation.

The coach accepted that Bangladesh had simply not performed as a total team throughout the campaign, which saw them arrive with high expectations of reclaiming the gold medal won back in 2010.

Instead, the full-strength squad finished fourth after losing both of their matches in Nisshin, falling to Pakistan in the semifinal before the damaging defeat against Sri Lanka at Korogi Sports Park.

Sri Lanka posted 165 for nine in 20 overs, anchored by a blistering 65 off 32 balls from Tharindu Ratnayake, before bowling out Bangladesh for just 102 in 17.3 overs.

The chase collapsed inside the opening four overs as four wickets tumbled for only 18 runs, with openers Saif Hassan and Tanzid Tamim alongside captain Litton Das all failing to score.

Nasum Ahmed top-scored with 26 off 28 balls, while Yasir Ali contributed 21 and Parvez Hossain Emon made 20, as Nuwan Thushara, Tharindu Ratnayake, Vijayakanth Viyaskanth and Wanuja Sahan shared the wickets.

Salahuddin rejected suggestions that the players lacked commitment, noting that they tried their best but failed to execute the game plan properly, adding that premium bowlers missed their expected lengths while spinners performed very well.

Addressing the batting collapse, the coach pointed out that losing five or six wickets in the powerplay makes recovery extremely difficult, particularly without deep all-rounder depth, though he maintained that 165 remained chaseable on the wicket.

Mustafizur Rahman also faced scrutiny after another expensive spell yielding 25 runs following 23 in the semifinal, but Salahuddin defended the decision to back the left-arm pacer as the established death-overs specialist.