Who, what, when, where and why came together in Doha on the night Bangladesh A lost the Rising Stars Asia Cup final to Pakistan Shaheens, as captain Akbar Ali defended the decision to send Abdul Gaffar Saklain into the super over after returning home to Dhaka.
Akbar and teammates Habibur Rahman Sohan, Abu Hider Rony and Ripon Mondol landed at Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport in the early hours, their faces betraying the frustration of seeing the trophy slip away. Cameras and microphones quickly surrounded the captain, with questions centring on the most debated call of the final.
Explaining why Saklain was sent out alongside Sohan for the super over, Akbar said, “You can look at it two ways. We sent Sohan because he was our best batter in the tournament. From that position we felt Saklain was in very good touch.”
Saklain had been central to Bangladesh A forcing the game into a super over. Chasing 126, Bangladesh needed 27 runs from the final two overs with one wicket in hand. Saklain and Mondol produced a stirring late surge, taking 20 off the penultimate over. Saklain struck two sixes and Mondol added one, before the innings ended on 125 for nine. Saklain had scored 16 off 12 balls, which, Akbar said, influenced the thinking for the super over.
“If you think about it, a lot of our all rounders had not batted much in the tournament,” Akbar said. “Saklain, Rakibul, Mrittunjoy or Rony bhai hardly got opportunities. In this match Saklain had time in the middle and since he was in good touch, we sent him. Sohan would obviously go too.”
But the plan unravelled immediately. Saklain was dismissed first ball of the super over and Bangladesh mustered only six runs from three legal deliveries, five of which came from wides. Pakistan chased seven with two balls to spare to seal the title.
The final had already swung sharply. Bangladesh moved to 22 without loss inside 14 balls, then collapsed to 53 for seven. A partnership of 37 between Rakibul Hasan and SM Meherob briefly restored hope before two quick wickets left the side 96 for nine in the 18th over.
Akbar admitted the disappointment lingered. “Of course everyone was a little down. Players and staff were all disappointed,” he said. “We should not have been in that situation in the first place, but from where we fought back, then to lose in a super over, it was frustrating for all of us. We tried to give our best. In the end it did not happen.”
