Bangladesh Head Coach reveals dressing room troubles after Asian Games fallout [Source: AFP]After Bangladesh Women’s early exit from the Women’s Asian Games 2026, head coach Sarowar Imran launched a scathing attack on growing unrest within the dressing room. He also shed light on Nigar Sultana’s abrupt exit as captain.Bangladesh lost to Pakistan in the bronze-medal match at the Asian Games, which marked the end of their campaign in Japan as they travelled back home without a medal. In the aftermath of this exit, Bangladesh Women head coach Sarowar Imran made several bombshell revelations.Sarowar Imran blames dressing room troubles for Bangladesh’s downfallSpeaking to the media after the Asian Games defeat, Bangladesh Women head coach Sarowar Imran revealed that there was unrest and uncertainty within the dressing room. “You know who holds the primary responsibility (of our failure) better than I do. However, you want to frame it... you're asking me! We weren't in this state before. We played in World Cups under entirely different circumstances. Now, everything has suddenly shifted," Imran said.Imran claimed the problems began around the Asia Cup, after Bangladesh lost a close game to Sri Lanka. After that, negative reports and rumours about the team and management allegedly increased.“Our problem actually started back in the Asia Cup. We lost a close match against Sri Lanka there. Ever since that loss, various kinds of reports and rumors have been coming out from different places... to the point that we couldn't even score 120-130 against teams like Indonesia and the UAE. And we are still carrying that exact slump into the Asian Games," he added.Players and coaches were reportedly hearing speculation about who would be retained or removed. And according to Imran, this created uncertainty while the team was still competing in tournaments.“That kind of thing (negative report) can impact the team and the players. I think - I'm not entirely sure, but - it could be one of the reasons. No excuses, but it could be a factor. We just aren't able to hit our stride; we can't seem to reach that level at all."Also Read - Nigar Sultana Issues 1st Public Statement After Quitting Bangladesh CaptaincyImran links Nigar Sultana’s captaincy exit to negative reportingInterestingly, Sarowar Imran claimed that during the Asian Games 2026, there was discussion that he would not continue as head coach, and pressure was also increasing on captain Nigar Sultana. “Suppose it is being said about me that I won’t be retained, he won’t be retained, and things like that. This happened during a tournament... We are playing a tournament. In the middle of it, you have sidelined the head coach and the captain, so how can you expect [results]?”Hence, Sultana decided to step down as captain as she did not want to become a scapegoat for Bangladesh's problems. “My two-year contract is ending in October anyway, so I don't have any expectations either. Criticism affects individuals on a personal level. The captain made that statement (of not continuing as T20I captain) only after all of this (negative report) happened.”Changes expected in Bangladesh’s coaching staffHaving said that, Cricbuzz reported that Bangladesh Women’s team’s coaching staff will be revamped as Sarowar Imran is likely to be sacked as head coach. His present contract won’t be renewed for a second term.David Hemp is reportedly the frontrunner to become the new head coach. Also, batting coach Nasiruddin Faruque is expected to be replaced, with Hemp potentially taking responsibility for batting as well.So Bangladesh women's cricket could be heading for a major management overhaul. But before departing, Sarowar Imran unleashed his wrath to disclose all the scenes' secrets that could dent Bangladesh cricket’s image.Also Read - Delhi Capitals' Former IPL Ace Announces Retirement From Cricket
