Simmons rues dropped catches as Bangladesh exit Asia Cup

Failure in a 136-run chase against Pakistan upended Bangladesh team's chance of reaching the Asia Cup 2025 final. Bangladesh coach Phil Simmons felt three dropped catches followed by "bad decisions" from the batters was responsible for the collapse. 

Pakistan were 51 for 5 when Nurul Hasan and Mahedi Hasan dropped Shaheen Shah Afridi in the 12th over. Afridi went on to hit two sixes in a 13-ball 19 and hand Pakistan a bit of momentum. After he fell, Parvez Hossain Emon dropped Mohammad Nawaz on zero; Nawaz went on to make 25 off 15 balls with two sixes and a four.

Fielders often have a difficult time picking the ball up against Dubai's unusual "ring of fire" floodlights, but Simmons didn't think this had been an issue with any of the chances.

"When we dropped Shaheen and Nawaz, that's where the game changed," he said. "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."

Simmons felt Bangladesh's batters had taken better decisions against Sri Lanka compared to this chase against Pakistan. 

"We didn't have to chase it in any [particular number of] overs. We just had to win the game," Simmons said. "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," he said.