The MCC have issued a clarification on Salman Ali Agha’s controversial run out during the Pakistan vs Bangladesh second ODI.
The bizarre moment came in the 39th over of Pakistan’s innings, when Mohammad Rizwan knocked down a delivery from Mehidy Hasan Miraz back to the bowler. Agha, standing at the non-striker’s end, collided with Miraz before proceeding to pick up the ball while outside his crease.
The Bangladesh captain quickly took control of the ball before Agha could pick it up and promptly knocked down the stumps to run the Pakistan batter out, who wasn’t remotely pleased with how things transpired. Miraz was also criticised for the dismissal, with some questioning his ‘sportsmanship’.
MCC: Salman Agha would have been better using that time to attempt to regain his ground
MCC have now issued a clarification over the dismissal, whether Bangladesh should have withdrawn the appeal, stressing that under the law, “there is little that either umpire could have done differently. The non-striker was clearly out of his ground when the wicket was broken, and the ball was in play. That is out.”
“It is also worth pointing out that the non-striker had left his ground when the ball was in play and had just started to attempt to regain his ground when he collided with Mehidy. Furthermore, no batter should attempt to pick the ball up without the consent of the fielding side, and had he done so, he would have been at risk of an Obstructing the field dismissal. In retrospect, he would have been better using that time to attempt to regain his ground,” the statement further read.
The MCC also clarified that the ball couldn’t have been deemed ‘dead’ as “the ball does not become dead when players collide – if it did, that would incentivise players to seek out collisions when the situation was advantageous. There was no question of a serious injury, so there could be no call of Dead ball for that.
“It could not have been clear to the umpire that all the players ceased to consider the ball to be in play, since Mehidy clearly believed it was live, even if Agha did not. And it cannot have been finally settled in the hands of the bowler or wicket-keeper, since it was on the ground.”
The MCC also touched upon the new laws that would come into effect this October, under which an umpire can deem a ball to be finally settled even if it is stationary on the ground and not in the hands of the wicketkeeper or the bowler. But even that wasn’t the case here since the bowler was attempting to run the non-striker out.
Finally, on the sportsmanship criticism, the MCC clarified:
“It certainly would have been possible for Mehidy, as Bangladesh captain, to withdraw his appeal. Agha clearly thought the ball was dead and was attempting to assist the fielding side after an unintentional collision which made it harder for him to regain his ground. The Laws allow a withdrawal for incidents where the batter is out in Law, but the fielding side feels that it would be better, within the Spirit of Cricket, to allow them to continue.”
Image credits: Bangladesh Cricket/X
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