The Pakistan national cricket team has reportedly submitted a formal complaint to the match referee following a controversial decision during the third and final One Day International against the Bangladesh national cricket team in Dhaka.
According to reports the team management raised concerns about a review taken by Bangladesh late in the match which they believe may not have followed official protocols. The complaint was submitted to match referee Neeyamur Rashid after Pakistan lost the deciding match and the three match series.
The dispute centres on an on field decision made by umpire Kumar Dharmasena during the final moments of the match. Bangladesh opted to review an LBW decision on the second last delivery of Pakistan’s run chase.
Before that ball was delivered Pakistan required 12 runs from the final two deliveries to reach the target. Spinner Rishad Hossain bowled a delivery drifting towards the leg side which appeared to be moving away from Shaheen Shah Afridi. The umpire initially called it a wide delivery.
However Bangladesh players then requested a review for leg before wicket after briefly discussing the decision. Pakistan’s management later argued that the request came after a replay had already appeared on the stadium screen which would violate the decision review system rules.
Under official guidelines teams must decide whether to request a review before any replay is shown to players or spectators. Pakistan believe this rule may not have been followed during the crucial moment of the match.
Reports also suggest the Pakistan camp questioned whether Bangladesh exceeded the allowed time to call for the review. Teams typically have only a short window to challenge an umpire’s decision but there was no visible timer on the broadcast making it difficult to independently confirm the timing.
The incident played a significant role in the closing stages of the game. Bangladesh eventually secured victory by 11 runs after Afridi was stumped on the final delivery while attempting to score quickly.
Despite a brilliant century from Salman Ali Agha, Pakistan fell short of the target of 291 runs. The result gave Bangladesh a 2 1 win in the ODI series.
The series itself saw several tense moments between the teams. In the previous match Mehidy Hasan Miraz ran out Salman Ali Agha at the non striker’s end which sparked debate about sportsmanship.
Following that incident Agha showed visible frustration on the field and was later penalised by the International Cricket Council with a demerit point and a fine equivalent to half of his match fee. Miraz also received a smaller financial penalty for his involvement.
It remains unclear what outcome the Pakistan board is seeking from the complaint although an official clarification or apology from match officials could help ease tensions following the dramatic conclusion to the series.
