'The road ahead is going to be difficult,' says Bashar after washout dents Bangladesh U-19s’ WC path

Bangladesh face an uphill task at the ICC U-19 World Cup after their Group B encounter against New Zealand was washed out on Tuesday, complicating their path to the Super Six stage.

Although Bangladesh are well placed to advance, Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) game development coordinator Habibul Bashar admitted that the road ahead has become increasingly challenging following the no-result.

“The equation is steep for us and the road ahead is going to be difficult. Even if we win all our games [in Super Six], qualifying from the second round, which is the Super Six round, is going to be difficult. But it is what it is and we can’t do anything about this situation. Had we won our first game [against India], we wouldn’t have been in this situation,” Bashar told The Daily Star on Wednesday.

Bangladesh are currently third with a solitary point in the Group B standings after two matches, having suffered a loss to India before Tuesday’s washout against New Zealand. The Tigers will play their final group-stage match against the USA, and avoiding defeat in that game would secure their place in the Super Six, as the top three teams from the group qualify. These teams will then combine with the top three sides from Group C to form one of the Super Six groups. 

In the Super Six stage, teams play two matches against sides from the other group that finished in different positions in the group-stage. Group A and Group D form one Super Six group, while Group B and Group C form the other.

However, even a victory against the USA would see Bangladesh carry forward just one point into the Super Six stage. Only points, wins and net run-rate earned against teams that also progress to the Super Six are carried forward. Bangladesh shared one point from the abandoned match, which will only be retained if New Zealand also qualify from Group B.

If Bangladesh finish third in Group B, they will face the teams that finish first and second in Group C. 

However, if New Zealand fail to beat India in their remaining Group B fixture, Bangladesh could finish second with a win over the USA, which would see them play the teams that finish first and third in Group C during the Super Six stage.

England are likely to top Group C, having already secured four points with a win over Pakistan, and are expected to carry the maximum points into the Super Six. India, meanwhile, could also enter the Super Six with four points, further complicating Bangladesh’s qualification equation.

After the Super Six stage, the top two teams from each Super Six group will advance to the semifinals.

Bashar also highlighted the impact of rain on Bangladesh’s campaign, particularly in their opening match against India.

“Rain has affected us greatly. If the India game wasn’t interrupted by rain, we were going smoothly and the rain brought problems,” Bashar said.

As a result, Bashar believes net run-rate could play a decisive role even if Bangladesh manage to win their Super Six fixtures.

“We are in such a position that in the second round, apart from winning games, we will also now have to be focused on our run-rate too. For now we have just focus on making the second round,” he concluded.