Bangladesh's Litton Das strongly defended his captain, Mehidy Hasan Miraz, over the controversial run-out of Pakistan's Salman Ali Agha in the second ODI. Das asserted the dismissal was within the rules, stating it was an international match, not a 'charity league,' and that sportsmanship was not compromised despite criticism.
Bangladesh wicketkeeper-batter Litton Das strongly defended his captain, Mehidy Hasan Miraz, over the controversial run out of Pakistan batter Salman Ali Agha in the second ODI of the three-match series at the Shere Bangla National Stadium in Dhaka on Friday, March 13.
Bangladesh lost the match by 128 runs via the DLS method, allowing Pakistan to level the series 1-1. However, the match was marred by controversy as Salman Ali Agha’s run out sparked the debate over whether the dismissal aligned with the spirit of cricket, with fans and experts divided over Mehidy Hasan Miraz’s decision.
The row erupted after Miraz effected the run out when Agha was out of the crease while attempting to return the ball to the bowler, believing the play had ended. Bangladesh captain’s presence of mind allowed him to grab the ball and underarm it to the non-striker’s stumps, catching Agha short of the crease.
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‘This Is An International Match’
Speaking on the controversial run-out by Mehidy Hasan Miraz, the former Bangladesh captain defended the legality of the dismissal, stating that it was fully within the rules and part of playing an international match.
“First of all, no one came here to play a charity league; this is an international match,” he said as quoted by The Daily Star Bangladesh.
Salman Ali Agha was batting on 64 off 62 balls and forming a 109-run partnership with Mohammad Rizwan when his stay at the crease was abruptly ended by Mehidy Hasan Miraz, whose presence of mind allowed him to seize the opportunity to effectively run out the Pakistan skipper at the non-striker’s end, bringing an end to a crucial stand with Rizwan.
Salman’s dismissal at 231/4 led to a middle-order collapse in Pakistan’s batting as they were reduced to 274 all out, losing the remaining six wickets for 43 runs, before the bowlers bundled out Bangladesh for 114 and sealed a 128-run win for the Men in Blue to push the series into a decider.
‘No Sportsmanship was Compromised’
Former Pakistan cricketer Ramiz Raja, who was commentating during the second ODI between Bangladesh and Pakistan in Dhaka, questioned Mehidy Hasan Miraz’s sportsmanship spirit, as Salman Ali Agha was attempting to help return the ball to the Bangladesh captain, who seized the moment to effect the run out.
Speaking on Raja’s sportsmanship remark, Litton emphasized that the run out was fully within the rules and part of playing a competitive international match.
“Since the dismissal is within the rules, I don’t see from any angle that sportsmanship was compromised,” the former Bangladesh captain said.
“Everyone is entitled to their own personal opinion. But as players, we felt that an out is an out,” he added.
Litton Das and Salman Ali Agha were involved in a heated argument over a controversial run out by Mehidy Hasan Miraz, which briefly escalated on the field before Mohammad Rizwan intervened to diffuse the tension between the two sides.
Pakistan and Bangladesh will lock horns for the third and final ODI to decide the winner of the three-match series at the Shere Bangla National Stadium in Dhaka on Sunday, March 15.
