The International Cricket Council (ICC) reprimanded Salman Ali Agha for his outburst following the controversial run-out dismissal in the second ODI of the three-match series against Bangladesh. The ICC match referee, Neeyamur Rashid, charged him one demerit for abusing cricket equipment as well.
Salman was visibly not pleased with his dismissal in the 39th over of Pakistan’s innings. Bangladesh skipper Mehidy Hasan Miraz stopped the ball hit by Mohammad Rizwan off his own bowling with his boot. However, Salman was right in his path at the non-striker’s end and both of them collided. The ball trickled to a halt near their feet and Agha, out of his crease, bent to pick up the ball and return it to the bowling.
In the meantime, Mehidy swiftly picked up the ball and underarmed it onto the stumps, catching the batter stranded and surprised. The on-field umpire Tanvir Ahmed referred the run-out appeal to the TV umpire who reviewed the footage before adjudging Salman Agha out.
Agha was clearly not pleased with the dismissal and had a go at Mehidy. Soon, Litton Das joined the debate, who was calmed down by Rizwan, even as the spirit of cricket came into the picture yet again. A frustrated Agha threw away his gloves and helmet in anger at the time.ย Agha was batting superbly until that point, as he was dismissed on 64 off 62 deliveries.
Here’s the video:
What did the ICC match referee say?
“The specific incident involved abusing cricket equipment on the ground while leaving the field. Regarding Salman Agha, he has no previous history of such behaviour. We have to maintain neutrality when we judge. Consequently, we have issued a reprimand and a demerit point.
“We also considered the law, our training and playing conditions. We discussed the matter with the ICC before making the final decision. From a neutrality standpoint, we delivered the judgement,” Neeyamur said while speaking to the Daily Star Bangladesh.
As for the match, Pakistan managed to level the three-match series with a solid win on Friday and the decider will now be played on March 15 (Sunday).
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