'Ashamed and sorry before the entire nation': Salahuddin apologises for Asian Games failure

Bangladesh coach for the Asian Games Mohammad Salahuddin offered a public apology after Bangladesh were bowled out for 102 and lost by 63 runs to a second-string Sri Lanka side in the bronze medal match at the Asian Games in Aichi-Nagoya on Saturday, returning home empty-handed from the tournament for the first time.

"We are ashamed and sorry before the entire nation. As a coach, I also feel that we have failed. We could not meet the expectations the people of the country had of us. It is very disappointing," Salahuddin told reporters in Japan after the defeat.

Bangladesh had arrived at the tournament aiming for gold, having won a medal in each of their three previous Asian Games cricket appearances, including gold in 2010.

After losing to Pakistan in the semi-finals, they needed to beat Sri Lanka in the bronze medal match, but were comprehensively outplayed by a weakened opposition side.

Sri Lanka were in early difficulty at 51 for four after 10 overs, but Bangladesh's bowlers collapsed in the second half of the innings, allowing the opposition to reach 165.

Mustafizur Rahman was particularly costly, conceding 25 runs in his first over alone. Salahuddin defended his decision to persist with the left-arm pacer.

"He has been one of our best players over the past 10 years. He is a death-overs specialist. So we have to put our faith in him," he said.

Bangladesh's batting was even more alarming. Openers Tanzid Hasan and Saif Hassan, along with captain Litton Das, were all dismissed for ducks as the top order disintegrated in the powerplay.

The team were bowled out for 102, with Nasum Ahmed's 26 from number nine the only innings of note.

"We lost too many wickets in the powerplay. It was not really possible to win the match from there," Salahuddin said.

Litton, who scored only two runs across both matches and also faced questions over his bowling changes in the first game, defended his players at the press conference.

"I will always say that they fight for the country. They have failed, and we are certainly ashamed of that. To be honest, we did not perform well as a team," he said.

Both Pakistan and Sri Lanka sent weakened squads to the Asian Games. The fact that Bangladesh lost to both has deepened the sense of frustration, particularly given that the cricket team travels with full support and resources while athletes from disciplines such as athletics and swimming compete under significantly more difficult conditions. Salahuddin acknowledged the broader disappointment.

"We came here with a target, but we failed. We could not play well," he said