Continuous rain in Japan has handed Bangladesh a free ticket into the men’s cricket semi-finals at the Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games without a single ball being bowled.
The Tigers were scheduled to face Malaysia in the quarter-finals at Korogi Sports Park in Nagoya on Tuesday. However the heavy downpours forced officials to abandon the match for a second straight day. Under tournament rules the higher-ranked teams automatically advance when rain washes out knockout fixtures with allowing both Bangladesh and Sri Lanka to march straight into the last four.
While the outcome works in Bangladesh's favor, the news isn't all positive for the Tigers. Key batter Najmul Hossain Shanto has been officially ruled out of the rest of the tournament after coming down with a high fever and an infection.
The team now faces a tough test against rivals Pakistan in Thursday's semi-final while Sri Lanka takes on defending champions India.
Organizers in Nagoya are racing against time to dry out the converted baseball venue using covers, sponges and squeegees. With bright sunshine and warmer weather forecasted, groundskeepers expect the field to be fully ready for Thursday's high-stakes action.
For Bangladeshi fans, all eyes are now on how the Tigers regroup without Najmul Hossain Shanto to fight for a spot in the gold medal match.
