Salman Ali Agha has said he would have handled the situation differently after the controversial run-out incident involving Mehidy Hasan Miraz during the second ODI between Pakistan national cricket team and Bangladesh national cricket team at the Sher-e-Bangla National Cricket Stadium in Mirpur on Friday.
The unusual dismissal in Pakistan’s innings reignited debates around sportsmanship in cricket, even though the act was within the laws of the game.
How the Incident Happened
The incident occurred in the 39th over of Pakistan’s innings. Mohammad Rizwan pushed the ball back towards the bowler off a delivery from Mehidy Hasan Miraz. The ball rolled toward Agha at the non-striker’s end as the spinner moved forward to collect it.
As both players attempted to gather the ball, they briefly got tangled near the pitch. With Agha still outside his crease, Mehidy reached the ball first and quickly turned to break the stumps with an underarm throw, appealing for a run-out.
On-field umpire Tanvir Ahmed referred the decision to the third umpire. After reviewing the footage, Kumar Dharmasena confirmed that Agha was out of his crease when the wicket was broken, resulting in the batter being given out.
Agha Reacts to the Controversial Dismissal
Agha appeared visibly frustrated immediately after the decision, but later acknowledged that the Bangladesh captain had acted within the laws of cricket.
“I mean, I’m sure everyone has seen it. It was just heat-of-the-moment stuff,” Agha said after the match.
“If you ask me what I would have done, I would have done things differently. But whatever happened after that was just the heat of the moment.”
The dismissal ended a 109-run fourth-wicket partnership between Agha and Rizwan that had helped Pakistan recover after losing three wickets for 18 runs following a 103-run opening stand. Agha scored 64 runs off 62 balls before being run out.
“According to the Law It Is Fine”
While discussing the incident, Agha stressed that Miraz had not broken any rules but said he personally believes sportsmanship should be prioritised.
“It is within the law and I’m someone who always wants to follow the law,” Agha said.
“But when we talk about sportsman spirit, I think that should be up there no matter what the situation. According to the law what he has done is fine, and if he thinks it is right then it is right. But from my perspective, I would have done things differently.”
Agha Explains His Version of Events
Agha also explained why he did not think he was in danger of being dismissed at the time of the incident.
“It hit my pad and then my back. So I thought you can’t really get out because the ball had already hit my pad and my back,” he said.
“I was just trying to give him the ball back because I wasn’t looking for a run or anything like that. I was just trying to return the ball to him, but he probably had a different thought.”
He added that even if the ball had passed through, he had no intention of attempting a run.
Pakistan Would Not Attempt Such a Run-Out
The Pakistan batter also insisted that his team would not attempt a similar dismissal in the future.
“No, never. We haven’t done that previously and we would never do that in the future,” Agha said.
Heated Exchange After the Incident
There was also a brief exchange between Agha and Miraz immediately after the run-out. However, the Pakistan batter played down the altercation, describing it as a moment of emotion during the match.
“I can’t remember exactly what I was saying and I can’t remember what he was saying,” he said.
“I’m sure I didn’t say nice things and I’m also sure he didn’t say nice things. But it was just the heat of the moment. We are fine. I haven’t spoken to him yet, but we will.”
Despite the controversy, Pakistan went on to win the match by 128 runs via the DLS method, taking a strong position in the three-match ODI series.
