Still raining

(L) New Zealand wicketkeeper Brendon McCullum works on his laptop while (R) Tamim Iqbal (R), Mushfiqur Rahim (C) and Shakib Al Hasan share a joke at the team hotel yesterday.Photo: STAR

The second day's play of the second and final Test be-tween Bangladesh and New Zealand was also washed out yesterday as incessant rain continued under the influence of the depression over the Bay.
With the opening day also lost to rain, it is now uncertain when the match would roll to the ground at the Sher-e-Bangla National Stadium in Mirpur with forecast of heavy showers till today.
For the second successive day there was no chance to remove the covers rather the showers turned heavier, leaving the ground too sodden and there was no reason for the teams to leave the hotel except a few local players who turned out to have nets at the indoors.
"It's really boring," Bangladesh captain Mohammad Ashraful expressed his frustration.
There was, however, no scope for the umpires -- Australian Daryl Harper and Sri Lankan Asoka de Silva -- to remain in the comfort of the hotel as they had to complete the academic job of calling off the day's play.
And Harper confirmed that everybody has to wait until the last day to know the fate of the Test.
"We cannot call the match off totally until the fifth day," said the Australian.
"We were told that there is a depression over the Bay of Bengal, so there is rain and add to that there were soggy conditions, so no play was possible," he added.
With the uncertainty of the start of the second Test, the Tigers' chance to play some good cricket before the next assignment against South Africa is now rapidly running out.
The team management, however, has already shifted their focus on the tough challenge in the South Africa tour with the Rafiqul Alam-led selection panel already deciding about the 15-member squad for next month's trip.
The team is likely to be announced on the fourth day of the second Test. Considering the condition, the selectors chose five pacers while fit-again Rokibul Hasan is all set to return to the team after missing the two ODIs against Australia and the entire home series against New Zealand due to a thumb injury.
The Tigers will leave Dhaka on November 1 for their second trip to South Africa. During a month-long tour, Ashraful's men will play three one-day internationals and two Tests besides a Twenty20 international against the Proteas.