Bangladesh Reach Asian Games Semi-Finals Without Playing a Match

Bangladesh’s cricket team have reached the semi-finals of the Asian Games without a single ball being bowled, advancing on the strength of their ICC ranking. They were scheduled to face Malaysia in the quarter-final, but adverse weather conditions brought the contest to an early end.

The skies over Nagoya, Japan, had been overcast since morning, accompanied by persistent drizzle. Although the match was scheduled to begin at 1:30pm local time, the conditions were so poor that match officials officially called it off more than three and a half hours before the scheduled start. As a result, the Tigers learned of their place in the last four while still at their hotel, without having to take the field at all.

The weather disruptions in the ongoing tournament have not been limited to this match. Earlier the same day, the Sri Lanka-Nepal clash was also washed out by rain. The previous day, the matches between India and Afghanistan and Pakistan and Hong Kong had met the same fate.

Bangladesh will return to action on October 1, when they will take on Pakistan for a place in the final. On the same day, the other semi-final will see two Asian powerhouses, India and Sri Lanka, face each other.