Salman Ali Agha Questions Bangladesh's Sportsmanship After Dramatic Run-Out

Salman Ali Agha [Source: X.com]

Pakistan captain Salman Ali Agha has finally spoken about the controversial run-out that took place during the second ODI of the three-match series against Bangladesh. The match was played at the Sher-e-Bangla National Cricket Stadium in Mirpur on Friday. 

Bangladesh won the toss and decided to bowl first. Pakistan’s openers, Sahibzada Farhan and Maaz Sadaqat, gave the team a confident beginning. Notably, the pair added 103 runs within the first 13 overs. 

Pakistan give a strong start against Bangladesh

Maaz Sadaqat played an aggressive innings and scored 75 runs from just 46 balls. However, Bangladesh managed to break the partnership when Sadaqat lost his wicket. Soon after that, Sahibzada Farhan was dismissed for 31 runs. Pakistan then faced another setback as Shamyl Hussain struggled to settle at the crease. He managed only 6 runs from 22 balls.

Mohammad Rizwan and Salman Ali Agha stepped in to rebuild the innings. The two batters formed a strong partnership and added 109 runs for the fourth wicket. Their stand helped Pakistan regain control of the match and move towards a competitive total.

The turning point of the innings came during the 39th over. Pakistan were comfortably placed at 231 for 3 and looked set for a bigger total.

Salman Ali Agha gets furious

During that over, Rizwan played a gentle shot towards the right side of the bowler. Bangladesh captain Mehidy Hasan Miraz moved in his follow-through and stopped the ball with his boot. During the same moment, he accidentally collided with Salman Ali Agha at the non-striker’s end.

The ball stopped near them. Agha had stepped slightly outside his crease. He then bent down as if to pick up the ball and return it to the bowler. At that moment, Miraz quickly collected the ball and threw it underarm at the stumps at the non-striker’s end.

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The ball hit the stumps while Agha was still outside the crease. Miraz immediately appealed for a run-out. On-field umpire referred the decision to the TV umpire for confirmation.

After reviewing the footage, the TV umpire ruled that the ball was still in play and Agha had not grounded his bat behind the crease. As a result, he was declared out for 64 runs off 62 balls.

The decision led to visible frustration from Agha. He exchanged words with Miraz, and Litton Das joined the discussion. The situation briefly became tense. Mohammad Rizwan eventually stepped in and helped calm things down.

Salman Ali Agha speaks about sportsmanship

After the match, Salman Ali Agha shared his thoughts during the press conference.

"I think sportsman spirit has to be there," Agha said. "What he [Mehidy] has done is in the law. I think if he thinks it's right, it's right, but if you ask me my perspective, I would have done differently. I would have gone for sportsman spirit. We haven't done this [type of thing] previously, we would never do that in the future as well," he added.

Agha explained what he was thinking during the moment of the incident.

"Actually, the ball hit on my pad and then my bat," he said. "So I thought he can't get me run-out now, because the ball already hit on my pad and my bat. I was just trying to give him the ball back. I was not looking for the run or anything like that, but he already decided [to make the run-out]."

The Pakistan captain later admitted that his exchange with Litton Das happened during an emotional moment in the game. 

"I can't remember what I was saying and I can't remember what he was saying. I'm sure I wasn't saying nice things, and I'm sure he wasn't saying nice stuff as well. But it was just heat of the moment, so we are fine," he said.

When asked whether he had spoken to Mehidy Hasan Miraz after the incident, Agha replied with a light comment. "I haven't yet, but don't worry, I'll find him."

Despite the controversy, Pakistan managed to secure a convincing victory in the match. They defeated Bangladesh by 128 runs through the DLS method. The win helped Pakistan level the three-match series. The final and deciding ODI is scheduled to take place on Sunday, March 15.

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