A dry time awaits the Barmy Army

Those members of the Barmy Army who travel to Bangladesh to follow England face a long, dry day watching matches after stadium authorities banned the sale of any alcohol inside the grounds.

The 100 or so supporters who will travel with the England side will be allocated a special enclosure, which is more comfortable and secure than the public seating. The authorities are not worried about trouble and are going out of their way to make the visitors welcome.

But the tourists won't even be able to sneak out of the ground for refreshment as alcohol consumption in public is banned by the Muslim-majority government. The only place to get a drink is in licensed bars, hotels or clubs.

The situation is further complicated by Ramzan, which begins October 26. Unlike stricter Muslim countries, there is no law against eating or drinking in public at this time, but generally people don't do so out of respect.

As if that wasn't enough, Bangladesh is suffering from a late monsoon which has prevented their side from starting their pre-series training. Yesterday's outdoor session was washed out and the practice pitches at the Bangabandhu National Stadium have not been prepared. The players were forced to spend the morning doing stretching exercises on the astroturf of the Maulana Bhashani National Hockey Stadium, and the afternoon in the gym of a local Dhaka hotel.