Malaysia emerged as the winners of Group B after their final group-stage match against Oman was washed out by rain. Hong Kong, China also advanced to the quarter-finals, while Bangladesh were handed Malaysia as their last-eight opponent.
Bangladesh won the gold medal when cricket made its Asian Games debut in 2010, although India and Pakistan did not send their strongest teams to that edition.
Bangladesh also fielded a relatively inexperienced side but took advantage of the opportunity to claim the title.
The scenario is different this time, with India, Sri Lanka and several other countries sending their strongest available squads.
Bangladesh have also travelled with a full-strength team under captain Litton Das as they target another gold medal, with Salahuddin serving as head coach.
Salahuddin believes the quarter-final will be a challenging encounter and stressed the importance of treating Malaysia with respect.
“I know a fair bit about Malaysia. In tournaments like this, upsets can happen. Since matches are played repeatedly on the same wicket, every game becomes important. We cannot assume we have won beforehand; we have to win the match on the field,” Salahuddin said.
“You should never underestimate any opponent. I think we should first play the quarter-final. It is a pressure game because it is the knockout stage, and there will always be pressure in knockout matches. We should stay focused on that game. We can think about the next one later.”
Bangladesh had been preparing at the Sher-e-Bangla National Cricket Stadium in Mirpur before travelling to Japan. However, rain in Japan has prevented the team from training since their arrival.
With the weather conditions in Japan in mind, Bangladesh completed most of their preparations before leaving the country.
“We knew beforehand that we would not get many facilities here, which is why we completed our preparations before coming. Obviously, our situation is good. The boys are in good shape and they had a good preparation. Now we will be very happy once we can get out and play,” Salahuddin said.
The Bangladesh coach also stressed the importance of getting their opening match underway as scheduled, saying a long gap without competitive cricket could make the knockout game more difficult.
“If you go five or seven days without playing a match and then have to play straight away, it becomes very difficult. So I think the first match is extremely important for us,” he said.
