Bangladesh reach cricket semis without playing a ball

Bangladesh advanced to the men's cricket semifinals at the Asian Games without taking the field after their quarter-final against Malaysia was called off due to rain and an unplayable pitch, with the team progressing on the strength of their higher ranking.

The match, scheduled to begin at 11 am Bangladesh time on Tuesday, was abandoned about three and a half hours before the scheduled start. Team manager Nafees Iqbal said the Games authorities had informed the team in the morning that the match would not be played, a decision that followed the abandonment of two quarter-finals on Monday and the subsequent washout of Nepal's match against Sri Lanka on Tuesday morning. Persistent rain and adverse ground conditions, accordingly, left the organisers with no option but to cancel Bangladesh's fixture.

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Bangladesh will now face Pakistan in the semifinal on October 1, with the match scheduled to start at 9 am Bangladesh time. However, further rain could put the fixture at risk; should the semifinal also be abandoned, Pakistan would advance on their superior ranking, leaving Bangladesh to compete for the bronze medal instead. Meanwhile, Bangladesh's women's team likewise advanced to the semifinals without playing their quarter-final against China after rain prevented that match from taking place.