During the second ODI against Bangladesh at Shere Bangla National Stadium in Dhaka on Friday, Pakistan batsman Salman Ali Agha was involved in a dramatic and contentious run-out that sparked discussion about the spirit of cricket.
The incident happened in the 39th over, after Bangladesh chose to bowl first and Pakistan gained momentum because of a partnership between Agha and Mohammad Rizwan. Mehidy Hasan Miraz, the captain of Bangladesh, moved over in his follow-through after Rizwan edged the ball to the bowler’s right on the fourth delivery.
While using his boot to stop the ball, Miraz ran into Agha at the non-striker’s end. Agha briefly left his crease as the ball trickled to a stop close to their feet.
Agha appeared to try to pick up the ball and give it back to Miraz by bending down rather than immediately fleeing to safety. While Agha was still short of his ground, the Bangladesh captain responded more quickly, grabbing the ball and underarming it onto the stumps at the non-striker’s end.
Mehidy made an appeal right away, and the on-field umpire Tanvir Ahmed forwarded the call to the TV umpire, who promptly declared Agha out after verifying that the ball was still in play and that the batter had not grounded his bat behind the crease.
Agha was clearly upset over being dismissed after making a solid 64 off 62 balls. Following the appeal, he spoke with Miraz and continued to express his annoyance as he made his way back to the pavilion. Before Rizwan intervened to defuse the conflict, Litton Das also became involved for a little period of time.
Pakistan’s progress was halted at a critical point in the innings when Agha and Rizwan (44 off 59) were dismissed, ending their vital 109-run partnership for the fourth wicket.
The incident is sure to spark conversation about alertness at the crease and the spirit of cricket, even if the third umpire’s ruling was clear-cut legally—the ball was not dead and Miraz had the right to shatter the stumps. Agha’s choice to handle the ball instead of making sure he was safely back in his ground first is even being questioned by many.
Rizwan was also dismissed two balls after Agha’s run out, causing a spectacular collapse that left Pakistan at 231/5 in 39 overs. In the end, they were dismissed for 274 in 47.3 overs, with Mehidy Hasan (2/34) and Rishad Hossain (3/56) taking the most wickets.
