‘that’s where the game changed…’: Phil Simmons slams Bangladesh after costly defeat to Pakistan

Having Pakistan reeling at 51 for 5, Bangladesh let the game slip when they dropped Shaheen Shah Afridi and Mohammad Nawaz, both of whom went on to play crucial cameos here on Thursday. Afridi struck two sixes in a 13-ball 19, while Nawaz’s brisk 25 off 15 balls (two sixes, one four) lifted Pakistan to a fighting 135 for 8.

“When we dropped Shaheen and Nawaz, that’s where the game changed,” Simmons said at the post-mach press conference. “Before that, we were in control. Some of the catches maybe (had something to do with the lights) but I don’t think the ones we dropped had anything to do with the lights,” he said, referring to Dubai’s famous “ring of fire” lighting system, under which fielders often struggle to sight the ball.

At the halfway mark, Bangladesh appeared well-placed to chase down the modest target, but their batters faltered with a string of poor shots. “It was just bad decisions. All of the teams have that at some point. It was us today. We didn’t make the best shot selections,” Simmons said bluntly.

The 62-year-old conceded that Bangladesh’s lack of depth continues to hurt them when senior players like their captain Litton Das, who missed the last two games due to a side strain, are absent. “We just chased 169 (against Sri Lanka) two games ago. We are not a team that can lose Tanzid (Hasan) and captain (Litton Das) in one game and just fill (the void) like that.

“We are getting to that stage, we are not there yet. Losing the captain in such good form is a big thing for us. “We chased 169 on the same wicket, where we made better batting decisions. Batting order doesn’t say we batted well or badly. We made bad decisions today.”