Bangladesh coach Russell Domingo has hit out following the DLS fiasco that overshadowed his team’s defeat in the second Twenty20 against New Zealand.
Sent in by Bangladesh in Tuesday’s match, New Zealand reached 5-173 in the 18th over when their innings was cut short by rain at McLean Park in Napier.
The ICC’s official website said Bangladesh’s target under the Duckworth-Lewis-Stern system was 148 in 16 overs, before play was halted nine deliveries into Bangladesh’s chase and they were told a different target – 170 runs in 16 overs.
According to ESPNCricinfo, the new goal was changed again, to 171, after the 13th over.
The visitors eventually fell well short of the tally they needed to keep the three-match series alive, finishing on 7-142.
“I don’t think I have been involved in a game before where batters go out and don’t know what the target is,” said former South Africa coach Domingo.
“Nobody had any idea of how many we needed after five or six overs.
“I don’t think the game should have started until it was finalised, before there was a clear indication of what is required, and what we needed at certain stages.
“I don’t quite think the conduct was good enough this evening.
“(When we met the match referee) they were still waiting for calculations. If you are waiting, the game can’t start.
“What was explained was they normally get it one or two balls in … No excuses, but this is just very frustrating.”
A spokesperson for the ICC said an operational issue at the ground meant the DLS sheets, which contain the target scores at different points of the innings, could not be provided to the teams.
“The target score was verbally communicated to the umpires at the start of the innings,” the official told ESPNCricinfo.
“However, play had to be halted after 1.3 overs as the teams requested for the DLS sheet.
“Play resumed once the sheets were provided to the teams.”
New Zealand take an unassailable 2-0 lead into the final match of the series, which takes place at Eden Park in Auckland on Thursday.