'Big issue': Simmons resorts to Litton excuse after Bangladesh’s bizarre batting collapse

Bangladesh's Asia Cup campaign ended on a painful note yesterday. Chasing 136 runs against Pakistan -- a modest target that kept their dreams of reaching the final within reach -- the Tigers instead collapsed in a muddled, nervy performance that exposed deeper issues in planning and temperament.

At the post-match press conference, head coach Phil Simmons repeatedly returned to one theme: the absence of captain Litton Das. As he was leaving the room, asked whether things really unravelled just because Litton was missing, Simmons gave a dry smile and admitted, "Yes, when someone of his class is suddenly unavailable, the situation gets tough."

The chase itself hardly reflected any structure. From the very first over, nerves were on display and Parvez Hossain Emon perished -- an unforced error from his part. By the start of the fifth, when Pakistan had pushed Shaheen Shah Afridi into a third consecutive over in search of a breakthrough, a mix-up between Towhid Hridoy and Saif Hasan almost led to a run out. The very next ball, Hridoy perished -- caught after an expansive shot that defied game awareness.

That moment triggered the slide. All Bangladesh really needed to do was survive Shaheen's third over with minimum fuss.

Saif, their standout performer in this Asia Cup, had earlier hinted at intent, batting with the maturity of a seasoned campaigner, striking a six and a boundary off Haris Rauf to release pressure. But Rauf returned in his next over to remove him. Unlike others, his dismissal was far from being reckless -- he played with soft hands but misread the pace, producing a leading edge to the infielder. From then on, Bangladesh were left reeling.

The 11-run defeat might suggest a close contest, but in truth, they were out of it long before Rishad Hossain's late blows narrowed the margin.

The batting order itself invited scrutiny. Opener Tanzid Hasan Tamim was dropped, with lower-order batter Nurul Hasan Sohan brought in. Sohan's stay was as shaky as ever, marked by edginess and a lack of control.

Even more puzzling was the Shak Mahedi's promotion to number four despite averaging just 11 in ODIs, while stand-in captain Jaker Ali Anik batted at No. 7 and never looked like having the clarity of thought or execution in the middle. Simmons defended the former move, arguing it was to counter pace in the Powerplay: "You look at it as number four. I look at it as sending someone who could have taken on the pacers at that time. We were still in the Powerplay, so he could have countered the fast bowlers a little bit more than if he went lower down to face all the spinners."

Still, the broader context pointed back to Litton. In form, he had anchored Bangladesh's batting at number three, starting the tournament with a fifty and setting the tone in the chase against Sri Lanka. But an untimely muscle strain in practice ruled him out of the last two Super Four games. Simmons reminded: "Bangladesh chased 160 two games ago with the same batting order. We are not a team that can lose [Tanzid Tamim] and the captain simultaneously and easily replace them.

"We are not at that stage yet, though we are getting there. But losing our captain, who was in such good form, has been a big issue for us," said Simmons.

Pakistan now play India in the title decider on September 28 at the same venue.