Mehidy Hasan Miraz should have displayed “sportsman spirit,” according to Pakistani batter Salman Ali Agha, after his innings was ended by the Bangladeshi captain with a contentious run-out in Friday’s One-Day International in Dhaka.
After his partner Mohammad Rizwan drove the ball in his direction, Agha bent down to retrieve it and return it to the bowler, well short of his crease at the non-striker’s end.
Mehidy, however, picked up the ball before Agha and dislodged the bails at the non-striker’s end.
The dismissal immediately sparked conversations about the “spirit of cricket” and brought back memories of the controversy over Australia’s Alex Carey’s stumping of England’s Jonny Bairstow during the 2023 Ashes.
“I think sportsman spirit has to be there. What he 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,” Agha told reporters after Pakistan’s 128-run win.
Agha threw down his helmet and gloves in an angry outburst, but he later played it down.
“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. If you ask me what would I have done, I would have done things differently. But … whatever happened after that, it was in the moment.”
On Sunday, Pakistan and Bangladesh will play their third ODI of the series which is level at 1-1.
