KUALA LUMPUR: To win the Thomas Cup, Malaysia cannot rely solely on one singles player and two strong doubles.
On Tuesday, as expected, Malaysia lost 3-2 to Denmark in the final Group D tie in Chengdu.
While the national men's doubles players delivered, all three singles players, including world No. 10 Lee Zii Jia, lost their respective matches.
Rashid Sidek, a member of the Malaysian team who last won the coveted trophy way back in 1992, said it is a concern that has not been effectively addressed.
"In 1992, the team could rely on me and Foo Kok Keong to at least win two points. Add that to our strong doubles pairs, and we could already win the tie.
"Our problem since then has always been over-reliance on one singles player. What happens if that player fails to deliver?
"Before this, we had the same issue with Lee Chong Wei, and now we're too dependent on Zii Jia.
"I don't blame Justin Hoh for losing (to Rasmus Gemke) in the third singles match. As a first-timer, I think he did very well.
"However, in the second singles match, Leong Jun Hao was no match for Anders Antonsen," said Rashid, who believes the BA of Malaysia should review the national singles training programme.
Before the competition, the national body suffered a blow when world No. 18 Ng Tze Yong was deemed unfit to compete.
As a result, BAM had little choice but to bring in independent shuttler Cheam June Wei as a replacement.
"At the moment, we don't have an issue in the doubles department. We just need to beef up the singles department to win the Thomas Cup.
"You need at least two strong singles players. Perhaps in two years time, if Tze Yong and Justin can improve further, we might have a formidable squad," added Rashid.
Despite the defeat to Denmark, Malaysia still finished second in the group and were already assured a quarter-final spot.
Since 1992, Malaysia have reached the final four times. The last time Malaysia came close to landing the title was 10 years ago in New Delhi.
In their previous Thomas Cup campaign in Bangkok, Malaysia lost 3-2 in the last eight to eventual champions India.