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Waterworld!

In Dhaka, harried organisers are bracing to meet the challenge posed by heavy rain, just days ahead of the nine-nation Wills International KnockOut tournament.

A massive downpour over the past two days resulted in flooding of the practise grounds allotted to the participating teams. Bangladesh does not possess any indoor training facilities.

Alam Choudhury, one of the members of the organising committee, said, "The main playing ground is still wet following rains over the last few days. All efforts are being made to dry it out in time for the tournament.

The first match, between New Zealand and Zimbabwe, is slated for October 24.

Event manager and former Pakistan skipper Asif Iqbal said, "We are hoping and praying for the weather to improve, and the games to be held as per schedule.''

The only cheer came from the meterological department, which said no further rains were expected this week.

Interestingly, South Africa-based curator Philip Edgar Russell, who has been supervising ground development at the Bangabandhu National Stadium in Dhaka, ended his tenure earlier this week, leaving the ground officially without a curator -- a rather bizarre arrangement.

Late last week, Russell -- a British native settled in South Africa -- was rather pessimistic about the situation. ``The weather is not favourable, we need sunny skies to dry out the pitches. Also, the outfield is very wet and chances are we could have a wicket that will play even slower than the Coca Cola Cup (the Bangladesh Independence Cup, played earlier this year)," Russell said.

Russell indicated that as far as overall preparations went, both the pitch and outfield were at least a couple of weeks behindhand in terms of readiness.

Following the expiry of Russell's tenure, the Bangladesh Cricket Board, in preference to extending it to cover the duration of the tournament, opted to request the Cricket Assocaition of Bengal to send personnell to keep the ground match fit.

The request was made via the ICC's aegis. The ICC in turn routed the BCB's request, via the Board of Control for Cricket in India, to the CAB.

Jagmohan Dalmiya, the ICC president who doubles up as head of the CAB, has okayed the sending of a team of six ground staff, including the head curator of the Eden Gardens in Calcutta, to Dhaka.

The team has taken with it state of the art pitch covers and the super sopper, among other items of equipment.

Given the emergency situation, the Bangladesh government relaxed all rules, and has permitted Indian vehicles carrying the equipment to enter Dhaka without valid papers, if need be.

Agencies