Rain turns U-19s’ key warm-ups into damp squibs ahead of WC

Rain has emerged as a major impediment to Bangladesh Under-19s’ World Cup preparations since the team’s arrival in Zimbabwe. 

Although conditions were favourable during the initial days, persistent rain has disrupted key preparation plans, with Saturday’s practice match against Pakistan U-19s ending in a no result after Bangladesh batted for 36.3 overs at the Masvingo Sports Club.

“The weather was good for the first two or three days when we were in Harare. In between, the weather wasn’t good and we are returning to Harare today, where there are forecasts of rain. It’s difficult to predict whether there will be rain. This is the rainy season here and we were aware of that before coming. There has been heavy rain, but it doesn’t last long before clouds roll in again,” team manager Mohammed Ehsanul Haque told The Daily Star.

Rain began even before the start of Saturday’s match, and team management sources said interruptions occurred every five to six overs. Bangladesh reached 152 for seven before the game was eventually abandoned after play was halted six to seven times.

“The rain is obviously making preparations difficult. Yesterday against Pakistan we lost the toss and had to bat, and completing the match would have been important for our preparation. But in the actual tournament, umpires will not allow play to continue in such conditions,” Ehsanul said.

The Bangladesh team travelled back to Harare on Sunday, where they have a practice session scheduled for Monday ahead of their warm-up match against Scotland on Tuesday. There is also concern about adjusting to playing conditions, as Bangladesh’s practice matches were held in Masvingo and Harare, while their tournament matches will be played in Bulawayo.

“Our practice matches were in Masvingo and Harare, so we are not getting used to the conditions and wickets in Bulawayo, where our matches will be played, and that is a drawback,” Ehsanul added.

Meanwhile, pacer Al Fahad is recovering well after missing the Asia Cup, and the team is hoping to assess its strengths and try different combinations in the Scotland match.

“If we can play the full practice match against Scotland, we will be able to gauge our strengths,” he said.