Litton Blames Lack of Practice for Pakistan Loss
Published : 13:48, 1 October 2026
Bangladesh captain Litton Das has attributed his side’s defeat to Pakistan in the Asian Games semifinal to a lack of sufficient match practice.
Speaking to reporters in the mixed zone after the match, Litton defended several of his decisions and said Bangladesh had struggled after spending a long period without regular cricket and training.
Persistent rain in Nagoya had kept the pitch covered for four days. With cracks appearing on the surface, both Bangladesh and Pakistan opted for spin-heavy attacks.
Despite the spin-friendly conditions, Litton gave pace bowler Mustafizur Rahman only two overs. Mustafiz conceded 18 runs in his first over and finished with 41 runs from two overs.
Asked why he brought Mustafiz back instead of using more spinners, Litton responded that the question would not have been raised had the pacer taken three wickets.
Litton also said Mustafiz was the best available option in his view at that stage of the match. He defended the experienced pacer, saying Mustafiz has been one of Bangladesh’s leading bowlers for years and that every player goes through ups and downs.
Litton himself had a disappointing outing with the bat, scoring just two runs from three deliveries. Explaining his batting failure, he pointed to the team’s limited preparation and long period without regular cricket.
“We had been sitting in our rooms for a long time,” Litton said, adding that losing the toss and facing a difficult pitch made the challenge even tougher. He also acknowledged that Bangladesh needed to have performed better.
However, Bangladesh and Pakistan faced similar limitations in terms of preparation, while Pakistan managed to bat more comfortably in the semifinal.
Bangladesh entered the Asian Games with high expectations after winning gold in men’s cricket in 2010, silver in 2014 and bronze in 2023. With a full-strength squad this time, the team had hoped to reach at least the final. Following the semifinal defeat to Pakistan, Bangladesh will now compete for the bronze medal.
