Bangladesh skipper Mushfiqur Rahim feared if they can continue playing like this they will find it tough to beat newcomers Afghanistan in the Asia Cup at home, which begins in two days’ time.
Sri Lanka toyed with the Tigers to with the third and final one-day international by six wickets, completing a 3-0 series sweep, something that was completely unexpected given Bangladesh’s recent improvements.
This was for the first time the Tigers were swept in a series since December 2011 when they played against Pakistan.
The defeat was morale-shattering ahead of some serious competitions like the Asia Cup and the ICC World Twenty20.
Mushfiq did not hesitate to project the black and white picture of the team’s condition after these defeats, conceding that it had damaged their self-esteem to a great extent.
‘Obviously there are a lot of problems coming to the surface now,’ Mushfiq said in the post-match press conference. ‘Winning is important but the way we lost is obviously an alarming sign.
‘Today the wicket was very good, the time that I spent out there I thought it was a 270, 280-plus wicket.
‘There was not much turn and the ball was coming onto the bat. But this is a big problem that our batsmen are getting out badly after being set,’ said Mushfiq.
‘We have to overcome these problems, at least before the Asia Cup.
‘The state we are in, you can say that it cannot get any worse,’ said Mushfiq. ‘The way we are going now, if that continues it will be very difficult. We may even struggle against Afghanistan.
Bangladesh will face India in the first match of the Asia Cup on February 26 before facing first-timer Afghanistan in their second match on March 1.
-With New Age input
