Pakistan batter Salman Ali Agha has been officially reprimanded and slapped with a demerit point following his furious reaction to his controversial run out in the 2nd ODI against Bangladesh in Mirpur on Friday (March 13).
Agha's run out stirred controversy after the bowler - Bangladesh captain Mehidy Hasan Miraz - tried stopping the ball off his own bowling in the 39th over of the Pakistan innings. As Mehidy collided into non-striker Agha, the latter tried handing the ball to the bowler while he was outside the crease. Mehidy duly picked it up himself and ran Agha out with an underarm throw, with TV umpire Kumar Dharmasena upholding the appeal.
This was followed by a heated exchange of words, post which Agha chucked his gloves and his helmet onto the ground. Match referee Neeyamur Rashid Rahul found him guilty of breaching Level 1 of the ICC Code of Conduct for the same, for which Agha was reprimanded and handed a demerit point, his first offence in a 24-month period. Since Agha accepted the sanction, a formal hearing was not required.
Agha, who led Pakistan at the recent T20 World Cup, said after the game that @L0$ was 'just heat-of-the-moment' stuff, before adding that he would have 'gone for sportsman spirit' had he been in Mehidy's position.
Pakistan are set to face Bangladesh in the decider on Sunday at the Sher-e-Bangla National Stadium, with the series deadlocked at 1-1 after two matches.
