The members of a vanquished team walking into a press conference hall and being greeted by a standing ovation from scribes is a rare spectacle. However, on a night in which Bangladesh came within a whisker of winning the Asia Cup, this was a natural and heartfelt reaction from the scribes.
Coach Stuart Law and captain Mushfiqur Rahim both sat down with their eyes a touch damp.
“I sit here with my head held high. The team played out of its socks in all the games. As for the final, we can spend all night dissecting what could have happened. We got bogged down a bit in the middle and Pakistan held its nerve.
“However, a beginning has been made and in Mushfiqur, we have a leader who is the first to train and the last to leave. He is such a fine example for the team,” said Law.
Mushfiqur promised that his side would capitalise on the gains from the Asia Cup and not fritter it away.
Bangladesh's approach also won praise from Pakistan's Mohammad Hafeez. “Let us admire Bangladesh's courage as they played outstanding cricket. We were confident that our bowlers would help us defend 236 and they did well in the end,” said Hafeez.
