Washout at Chittagong
Bangladesh coach Jamie Siddons (L) and two of his most lethal weapons Tamim Iqbal (C) and Shakib Al Hasan inspect the wet outfield at the Zohur Ahmed Chowdhury Stadium yesterday.Photo: STAR
"A better ground for soccer? You might get football matches called off here."
Zimbabwe coach Alan Butcher's comments summed up the frustration that was prevalent at the soggy Zahur Ahmed Chowdhury Stadium yesterday, after match referee Chris Broad called off the fourth one-dayer due to a wet outfield.
Even though the Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) officially announced the decision to the media at around 12:45pm, the abandonment was in the cards from Thursday afternoon when the downpour first began at the port city. Though the groundsmen hoped for a curtailed match, a sharp spell early yesterday morning turned it into the second game in as many months in this country to be called off without a ball being bowled.
"Thursday's rain didn't really hamper the ground. It wasn't necessary to run the super-sopper. There was no water-logging last [Thursday] night. But the hour -long shower early this [Friday] morning created the main problem. Everyone knows what this ground is like. The grass here doesn't grow tall but it thickens out," said Zahid Reza, the newly-appointed curator at the Chittagong venue, who took over only one and a half-month ago.
More than the grass however, it was very obvious that the water drainage facility (or the lack of it) ensured the no-show. The cricket ground here doesn't have the basic draining system or even the two-foot slope that is a given in modern cricket venues.
BCB CEO Manzur Ahmed, who took a look at the outfield virtually at the same time the match officials were doing their final inspection half-hour past mid-day, said that only covers that are large enough to envelop the entire ground is the solution for this ground.
"I think a large cover can be very helpful to this ground," said Manzur, adding, "We have to bring the cover to protect this ground since the drainage system is not up to the mark. The ground level cannot be raised now because the World Cup is too close and the wickets wouldn't be ready in time but for now, I think we need bigger covers."
Unfortunately for Bangladesh and Zimbabwe, the covers present at the venue are small, covering only till the 30-yard circle and on Friday, it was hardly enough to save the game.
"It is frustrating [that the weather is sunny but we can't play]. When the sun does break through the cloud, it is very warm. Maybe if it had happened 4-5 hours ago, it would have been better. As I said, it is very wet, very muddy, very boggy," said Butcher an hour after the call-off.
"If we had any hopes of winning the series, we had to play and win today. It's a pity. The best we can do is to draw the series by winning the game on Sunday."
Jamie Siddons echoed Butcher, but obviously from Bangladesh's point of view.
"It is very frustrating, considering the sun was out virtually the whole day but we couldn't play the match. A little bit of rain last evening and this morning but we still couldn't play. We are disappointed not to drive home the advantage and make it 3-1," said the Australian head coach of the Tigers.
Though it is the visitors who are down by a game, they now have a good chance to level the series and Butcher hopes a drawn series could be salvaged.
"It does hamper our plans. If we won two, we would have won the series. Now, we know that we need to play better than we have done. The chance was there to win the series, now the chance is there to draw the series. That would be an achievement, to come from behind. We hope to get a 2-all draw, something we would be happy with," he said.
Abdur Razzak, on the other hand, is not considering the possibility of a 2-2 scoreline. "In our situation, we do not think we are at any risk of conceding the series," said the left-arm spinner with 13 wickets from three games so far.
The match being called off also hindered his chances of creating a new world record as the first bowler to take four or more wickets in an ODI in four consecutive matches. At the moment, Razzak is equal with Narendra Hirwani, Waqar Younis (on three occasions), Shane Warne, Vasbert Drakes and Khurram Chohan on three games each.
"Definitely it is disappointing, just like any player would tell you. But I have no hard feelings regarding my own situation, whatever that is. Whatever was in my fate, it panned out," said Razzak who still has one more chance to break the record.
But a spell of rain from now till Sunday morning stands in his way or the left-arm spinner has to wait till the World Cup opener against India in Mirpur on February 19.
While the Sher-e-Bangla National Stadium can hold a match an hour or two after rain clears out, the situation in Chittagong is completely the opposite. Yesterday's call-off due to the poor outfield has put the ground's status as an international venue facing a lot of questions ahead of the World Cup and the inspection by the ICC delegations that is set to take place today.
Comments