Litton targets final as Bangladesh prepare for Malaysia clash

Bangladesh captain Litton Das is keeping his primary focus on reaching the final of the Asian Games cricket tournament rather than looking too far ahead to winning gold. A crucial quarter-final against Malaysia awaits his side tomorrow at the Nishin Korogi Sports Park in the Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games in Japan.

Speaking at a press conference, Litton reiterated that advancing to the title clash remains the team's foremost objective. India, Pakistan, Sri Lanka and Afghanistan are among the other Test-playing nations competing in the cricket event, making the race for the gold medal a formidable challenge.

Asked about his team's ambitions amidst several strong sides, Litton stuck to the target he had outlined before leaving Bangladesh. He stated that their initial goal is to reach the final, noting that while winning gold is a matter for later, tomorrow's match is extremely important for that journey.

The women's cricket team endured a disappointing campaign at the Games by losing the bronze-medal match to Pakistan. With Bangladesh securing only a single bronze medal in wushu across all events so far, expectations surrounding the men's cricket team have naturally escalated.

However, Litton asserted that he is not feeling any additional pressure at the moment. He emphasized that the team wants to take one match at a time, stating they will think about subsequent stages only after securing a victory.

Preparations in Japan have encountered hurdles with rain washing out training sessions at the official venue. On the eve of their quarter-final, the squad was forced to conduct their training session on a football field instead.

Litton noted that the team had anticipated such limited training opportunities due to weather conditions and prepared accordingly before departure. Having trained extensively back home, the players underwent mental preparation for potential disruptions upon arrival.

He also acknowledged that cricket lacks widespread popularity in Japan, which brought some uncertainty regarding facility availability. Having completed their rigorous preparations in Dhaka, Litton expressed full confidence that the squad is entirely ready to play.