Exactly on the left side of the Media Center at Zayed Cricket Stadium, there is a small staircase leading up to the Main Stand. If you are a journalist covering the ongoing Asia Cup and want to experience the gallery vibe and some fresh air, you must enter the gallery adjacent to the press box through a small alley by these stairs.
The moment you step in, you are immediately buffeted by the crazy gusts of wind blowing from the east to the west side of the ground. After a long, scorching day, despite applying sunscreen multiple times, this wind brings a surprising sense of tranquillity to sunburnt skin.
However, this mysterious wind has a serious impact on cricket as well. Take the Bangladesh-Sri Lanka clash as a recent example.
Tanzid Hasan Tamim’s off stump was uprooted by an inswinger from Nuwan Thushara. Tanzid completely missed the line while attempting a cross-batted shot, after facing five consecutive dot balls that were coming into him.
During the run chase, Kusal Mendis was dismissed by an outswinger from Mustafizur Rahman that carried to wicketkeeper Litton Das after grazing the outside edge of his bat. Kusal had tried to play across the line, inducing the edge.
Mustafizur is not typically a big swinger of the ball, and if you look at his recent performances with the new ball, you won’t find many instances where he moved the ball as effectively as he did in that game.
Both Tanzid and Kusal were dismissed while batting from the north end of the ground. Batting from this end is particularly challenging, while bowling from the pavilion end becomes more enjoyable for the bowlers, as the east side of the ground has no large obstacles, such as mountains or skyscrapers, to block or alter the wind.
The stadium is situated on relatively flat terrain, which allows the wind to blow strongly across the ground from the desert side, as per Topography.
Typically, Abu Dhabi wickets offer some early seam movement and swing for fast bowlers. As the game progresses, the pitch starts assisting spinners. But when the strong desert wind comes into play, batting becomes increasingly difficult.
Jaker Ali Anik was asked about the challenges of batting while considering the wind direction. After losing the match by six wickets to Sri Lanka, he said in a press conference,”This is something you have to keep in mind. You cannot hit freely on both sides. You have to play more on one side of the ground, and on the other side, you can attack only if the wind helps. These things must be considered.”
Man of the Match Kamil Mishara, who scored 46* off 32 balls, also mentioned that he had to bat carefully because of the wind.
“Yes, sometimes it was very hard to play big shots. We can’t trust the wind, so I had to bat sensibly in the middle,” Kamil said.
Batting from the pavilion end also poses its own challenges. Earlier in the game, Bangladesh opener Parvez Hossain Emon edged a drive to Kusal after attempting to play a back-of-a-length delivery from Dushmantha Chameera. At the last moment, Parvez tried to adjust to the delivery, but it was too late. The wind caused the ball to move away, and as a left-hander, it was difficult to negotiate.
Fielders, too, were seen struggling with aerial shots. In the fifth over of the powerplay, Towhid Hridoy played a leading edge off a cutter from Thushara. Charith Asalanka misjudged the ball despite moving backwards at mid-off. Under the lights, with strong winds swirling, catching becomes an even greater challenge.
Bangladesh will take on Afghanistan on Tuesday in a do-or-die match at the same ground. Apart from facing Afghanistan, they will once again have to battle the wind, just as they did in their previous match.
Abu Dhabi will host five more matches, including the Bangladesh-Afghanistan clash and one Super Four match. In these forthcoming games, the Arab desert wind is certain to reveal more of its mysterious influence.
– Jubayer Tanin, from Abu Dhabi
