Rain sends Bangladesh through as four quarter-finals washed out

Tigers reached the 20th Asian Games cricket semi-finals without facing a single ball after rain washed out their quarter-final against Malaysia in Aichi-Nagoya on Tuesday.

The abandonment meant all four quarter-finals were wiped out without a ball being bowled. Bangladesh advanced because they were ranked higher than Malaysia in the ICC T20 International rankings.

India and Pakistan had already booked their semi-final places without playing on Monday. Neither quarter-final even reached the toss as rain forced the abandonment of Pakistan’s clash with Hong Kong and India’s match against Afghanistan.

Sri Lanka and Nepal also failed to take the field on Tuesday as rain washed out their quarter-final. Sri Lanka, ranked ninth in the ICC T20I rankings compared with Nepal’s 14th, advanced on the basis of their superior ranking.

The Bangladesh-Malaysia match faced a similar fate as persistent rain left little hope of play. Match officials eventually called off the contest, with Bangladesh ranked eighth and Malaysia 25th in the ICC T20I rankings.

For Litton Das and his men, the rain-hit campaign in Aichi-Nagoya has been frustrating from the outset. The Bangladesh squad could not hold an outdoor training session during their first two days after arriving in the city.

Korogi Sports Park has now become unplayable following continuous rain. The ground, located at the foot of the hills, does not have an underground drainage system, leaving water pooled around the boundary areas.

With no immediate improvement in the weather, curator Gamini Silva has little option but to keep the pitch and outfield covered.

The persistent rain is also raising concerns over the semi-finals. According to the schedule, Bangladesh will face Pakistan at 6:00am Bangladesh time on 1 October, while India will meet Sri Lanka in the second semi-final at 11:00am.

After four quarter-finals were lost to the weather, Bangladesh will now hope the rain finally relents before their biggest Asian Games test.