Litton keeps Tigers focused as rain looms

Rain has become Bangladesh’s biggest opponent at the 20th Asian Games, but captain Litton Das insists his side are ready for whatever conditions await them when they face Malaysia in Tuesday’s men’s cricket quarter-final at Aichi-Nagoya.

If rain, however, prevents Bangladesh and Malaysia from playing, Tigers will progress on the basis of their higher ranking and face Pakistan in the semi-final on 1 October.

The match is scheduled to start at 11:00am Bangladesh time, but persistent rain in Nagoya has already raised serious doubts over whether the game will be played.

Rain washed out both of Monday’s quarter-finals, with not a single ball bowled in Pakistan-Hong Kong and India-Afghanistan. Neither match even had a toss before Pakistan and India advanced to the semi-finals by virtue of their superior T20I rankings, according to the tournament regulations.

The weather threat now hangs over the green and red jersey’s clash with Malaysia and the other quarter-final between Sri Lanka and Nepal.

But Litton is refusing to look beyond Malaysia.

“We tried to prepare as much as possible within the time and facilities available to us. We are ready to play, but nobody has control over the rain. We are prepared for any situation here,” the Bangladesh captain told on Monday.

The conditions have already disrupted Bangladesh’s preparations since their arrival in Aichi-Nagoya.

Their training session on Sunday was cut short by rain, with the players managing only net batting and bowling before returning to the hotel. Tuesday’s practice was disrupted again, with the team unable to use the nets and instead playing football briefly in the rain before heading back.

The Korogi Sports Park ground, prepared for cricket, does not have an underground drainage system, limiting the scope for rapid recovery even after the rain stops.

Litton, however, believes Bangladesh knew what to expect and prepared accordingly before leaving home.

“We know about the conditions here. We considered these things before coming and had a good preparation back home. We are ready for any situation here,” he said.

If the weather relents, the match can be reduced to as few as five overs a side, with a Super Over also possible if required to determine the winner.

The Bangladesh captain expects the Nagoya conditions to help the bowlers.

“I think the wicket is favourable for the bowlers,” Litton said.

Although the final XI has yet to be confirmed, Bangladesh are considering a combination of six batters and five bowlers against Malaysia.

“We will play with our best available bowlers. The team combination will be five bowlers and six batters,” the wicketkeeper added.

“Our first target is to reach the final. Whether we achieve that target is a different matter. But tomorrow’s match is very important for us. For now, our focus is on that match.”