Pakistan batter Salman Agha was left stunned and furious after Mehidy Hasan Miraz tricked and dismissed him in the second ODI between Bangladesh and Pakistan at the Sher-E-Bangla Stadium in Dhaka. The tense moment unfolded on the 39th over of the first innings when Mohammad Rizwan played a straight drive, which was stopped by Miraz using his leg. Interestingly, Agha, who was out of his crease, bent to pick up the ball and pass it to Miraz but the Bangladesh all-rounder had another plan in mind.
Miraz quickly collected it and underarm threw at the stumps. With Agha still outside the crease, the decision went upstairs. The third umpire ruled the ball was live, confirming the run-out. Miraz’s behaviour eventually infuriated Agha, who threw his helmet in anger. It also sparked a heated conversation between Pakistan’s T20I captain and Bangladesh captain Litton Das, but Agha eventually had to leave the field for the dressing room, having given the walking order.
Another day, another controversy for Bangladesh
In the ODI World Cup 2023, Bangladesh sparked major controversy when Sri Lanka veteran Angelo Mathews was dismissed following a time-out appeal by the Shakib Al Hasan-led side. The Lankan team was left stunned as Bangladesh showed little regard for sportsmanship, drawing widespread criticism.
On Friday, a similar incident unfolded, one that could have been avoided, particularly given the improved relations between Bangladesh and Pakistan in recent months because of their alliance against India during the T20 World Cup. Despite expectations for a friendly series, Bangladesh once again faced scrutiny for a lack of sportsmanship, igniting fresh controversy.
Pakistan eye series leveller
After an embarrassing eight-wicket defeat in the opening ODI, Pakistan eye a comeback in the second match of the series. With that intention, they started strongly, as openers Sahibzada Farhan and Maaz Sadaqat stitched a partnership of 103 runs. Sadaqat went on to score 75 runs. Agha and Rizwan brought stability to the middle order, but after Agha departed for 64 runs, wickets fell like a house of cards. Rizwan too departed for 44 runs. They were put under pressure, while Pakistan would hope to touch the 285-run mark, at least.
