Bangladesh skipper Tamim Iqbal expressed dismay over the 97-run loss to Sri Lanka in the third and final ODI here on Friday, though the home team won the series 2-1.
The defeat meant that Bangladesh failed to garner the full 30 points (10 points for each match) on offer in the series under the new ICC ODI Super League format. Points earned in each match will now decide the 2023 ODI World Cup qualification.
"You never know, these 10 points could bother us later. The ICC ODI Super League is not like a typical bilateral series. When we had the opportunity, we should have finished it properly. We won the series, but I don't think we played really well. We bowled well, but we have more potential in our batting unit," Iqbal told cricinfo.com
Iqbal rued poor fielding of his team. "Fielding was okay in the first two matches, but it was the same old fielding today. We [dropped] important catches at important times. I am disappointed [with the third ODI]," he said.
"If we forget everything just because we won the series, it is the same thing when we come and say after a series loss that we have a lot of work to do. I will say the same thing after this series win: we have a lot to improve on."
But Iqbal stayed away from criticising the players. "Criticising them is easy, but I do not like to criticise my players. I know how hard they are working. They have not performed up to their expectations. I am sure they will put up a good performance soon. When they will perform, we become a stronger team."
