Sri Lanka vs Bangladesh | Shakib Al Hasan denies calling players back against Sri Lanka
Shakib Al Hasan claimed that his gesture of calling the players back in the last over of the game against Sri Lanka was actually him telling his players to continue with the match. While admitting that he had failed to control his emotions, Shakib said that he would be more careful in the future.
The virtual semi-final of the T20I tri-series offered an intense game between Sri Lanka and Bangladesh where the visitors registered a two-wicket victory to book their place in the final of the Nidahas Trophy where they will face off against India.
After winning the toss, Bangladesh put Sri Lanka in to bat first and the hosts put up a par score of 159 in their allotted 20 overs. While chasing the target, Bangladesh needed 12 runs in six deliveries and over the next two balls, all hell broke loose. Mustafizur Rahman faced two bouncers and was run out after missing the second. The players tried to convince the on-field umpire that it was a no-ball due to his height. And the scene increases the temper of Bangladesh’s skipper who was standing near the boundary and he was seen calling back his players.
"I wasn't calling them back. I was telling them to play. You can describe it both ways. It depends on how you see it," Shakib told reporters as quoted by AFP.
"We are all humans and making mistakes is in our nature. We should take it on our chin and move forward."
After winning the thrilling and dramatic game, the Bangladesh players were seen celebrating on the ground with some gusto. It was also learned that the players were accused by the ground staff at the stadium after a glass shutter was found broken in their dressing room but the team didn’t respond to the same.
"We always had healthy competition in the ground, but outside, we are friends. Emotions take over, I need to be careful as a leader of a team, I will be careful next time," he said.
All drama was started in the last over of the game when both teams were looking for their chance to play in the final. Sri Lanka handed the ball to Isuru Udana and he bowled a second bouncer of the over which was missed by Mustafizur Rahman and got run out before reaching at the non-striker’s end. When the second short-pitched ball delivered, the square-leg umpire, reportedly, seemed to declare it as a no-ball but after watching Mustafizur’s attempt, the umpire seemed to overturn it. Both Bangladesh’s players started a discussion with the umpire and inform their skipper about the final decision. Shakib lost his cool after arguing with the fourth umpire and was seen calling both the players back. Apart from the field, the scene near the boundary line was also getting intense.
Mahmudullah, who was batting at 31 (15), decided to continue the game and was joined by Rubel Hossain at the non-striker end. When the visitors needed 12 runs in just four deliveries, Mahmudullah connected the ball well and sent it for a four over covers. The 32-year-old knew that if they wanted to extend their stay for the finals in Sri Lanka, he needed to handle the situation. On the very next ball, Udana bowled a low full toss which the batsman sent to deep midwicket and the throw from the fielder was a good one which gave Mahmudullah a chance to finish things off.
The right-hand batsman managed to turn his entire team’s worries into the celebration by hitting a match-winning six on the penultimate delivery of the match. The winning team players entered in the field and start their ‘Nagin dance’ and the bitterness between the two teams didn’t end here as Bangladesh’s reserve wicket-keeper Nurul Hasan involved in an argument with Thisara Perera and Kusal Mendis and Tamim Iqbal performed the role of a peacemaker between them.
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