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Bangladesh have reached the men’s cricket semi-finals of the Asian Games without playing a single match, after rain washed out their quarter-final against Malaysia.
Bangladesh were scheduled to play directly in the quarter-finals based on their higher ranking. But persistent rain forced the match to be abandoned, with Bangladesh advancing to the semi-finals on the strength of their ranking.
They will now face Pakistan in the semi-final, with the match scheduled for 9:00am local time on Thursday.
The Bangladesh team finally got a chance to train under sunshine in Nagoya on Wednesday, their first such opportunity since arriving in Japan. The players trained at Korogi Athletic Park, bringing some relief to the squad after days of rain.
The main cricket ground, however, has yet to fully dry out.
Weather has been a major talking point at the Asian Games, with persistent rain disrupting the cricket schedule. None of the four men’s quarter-finals could be played because of the weather.
Bangladesh middle-order batter Yasir Ali Rabbi expressed optimism ahead of the Pakistan match.
“This is the first sunshine we have seen since arriving in Japan. We also trained on the field today. If the weather remains like this, we hope to have a good game tomorrow,” he said.
The rain has not only prevented Bangladesh from playing a match but also disrupted their regular training schedule, leaving the team short of match preparation.
“Practice has not been ideal, but mentally we are trying to stay prepared. We have done net sessions and played football. We have also looked at the wicket, and it looks good. Hopefully, we will get a good wicket for the match,” Rabbi said.
Bangladesh could face a major setback if the semi-final is also abandoned because of rain. In that case, Pakistan would advance to the final because they are higher ranked than Bangladesh.
Sri Lanka are scheduled to play the other semi-final later on Thursday.
