Bangladesh’s disappointing campaign at the Asian Games cricket tournament has taken a sharper downward turn off the field. National team players Saif Hassan, Towhid Hridoy, and Rishad Hossain are set to face financial penalties from the Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) for breaching team protocol during their time at the Games. The trio reportedly traveled from the official host city to another location without obtaining prior permission or clearance from the team management, an act viewed by board officials as a serious breach of discipline.
According to reliable board sources, the BCB has decided to impose a fine ranging between 100,000 and 200,000 Bangladeshi Taka on each of the three players. The athletes have already been formally notified of the decision. The disciplinary action comes at a sensitive moment, as cricket’s inclusion in multi-sport continental events requires strict adherence to institutional guidelines and security protocols managed jointly by the board and local organizing authorities.
The off-field indiscipline mirrors a dismal performance on the pitch by the national side. Entering the tournament with high ambitions of securing a gold medal, Bangladesh fielded a formidable squad featuring key international figures such as Litton Das and Mustafizur Rahman. However, their campaign stumbled early and never regained momentum.
After their opening quarter-final clash against Malaysia was washed out by rain, Bangladesh advanced to the semi-finals owing to their superior international ranking. What followed was a complete collapse in performance against both Pakistan and Sri Lanka. The most damaging blow occurred in the bronze-medal match against an inexperienced Sri Lankan side. Chasing a modest target, the Bangladesh batting order crumbled under pressure, getting bowled out for a paltry 102 runs to hand Sri Lanka a comfortable 63-run victory.
With neither gold nor bronze to show for their efforts, the squad returned under intense media scrutiny. For Saif, Towhid, and Rishad, their poor outings with the bat have now been overshadowed by an avoidable breach of code of conduct—one that serves as a stern warning from the BCB regarding player discipline during international assignments.
