Bangladesh coach Simmons reveals reason behind team's exit from Asia Cup

Bangladesh’s campaign in the Asia Cup came to a disappointing end with a defeat to Pakistan, and head coach Phil Simmons admitted that dropped catches and reckless batting proved decisive. The side appeared on course for a place in the final when they had Pakistan in deep trouble at 51 for 5, but costly mistakes in the field allowed their opponents to recover. Pakistan eventually posted 135 for 8, a total that Bangladesh failed to chase down despite a promising start. Simmons, who has often highlighted the need for consistency, said the match slipped away due to avoidable errors both in the field and with the bat. He acknowledged that while the bowling unit gave Bangladesh the upper hand, lapses in concentration swung the game away from them. 

 

Dropped chances prove costly

Simmons explained that the turning point came when Shaheen Shah Afridi and Mohammad Nawaz were gifted lifelines after being put down in the field. Both went on to play valuable cameos that changed the momentum of the contest. Afridi struck a quick 19 off 13 balls with two sixes, while Nawaz smashed 25 from just 15 deliveries, including two sixes and a four. According to Simmons, those missed opportunities undid the hard work of the new-ball bowlers. He also dismissed suggestions that the Dubai stadium’s “ring of fire” lights were to blame, insisting that the missed catches were more about execution than visibility.

Batting collapse under pressure

While Bangladesh appeared well placed at the halfway stage of the chase, Simmons admitted that poor shot selection from the batters led to their downfall. He said the team made “bad decisions” and failed to assess the situation properly, which meant they squandered a modest chase. The coach noted that such collapses can happen to any team but stressed that Bangladesh had only themselves to blame for gifting wickets away through impatience rather than being outplayed by Pakistan’s bowlers.

Missing the captain’s influence

Another factor highlighted by Simmons was the absence of captain Litton Das, who missed the last two games with a side strain. The head coach pointed out that Bangladesh lacks the depth to immediately cover for senior players, and losing both Litton and opener Tanzid Hasan in the same match was a setback too big to overcome. He said the team is gradually building towards greater bench strength but is not yet in a position to replace leaders seamlessly.

Partnerships, not power-hitting, the issue

Simmons also responded to concerns over Bangladesh’s strike rate in T20 internationals, saying it is not power-hitting that lets them down but the inability to stitch together partnerships. He felt the strike-rate gap with top teams will close with more exposure, while maintaining that the side is already competitive in six-hitting. What they need, he emphasised, is longer innings from set batters to anchor chases and build pressure on opponents.