Pakistan’s 128-run DLS win in the second ODI at Dhaka should have been straightforward. It wasn’t. The talking point became Salman Ali Agha’s dismissal – a run-out that was technically within the laws yet left a sour taste.
The incident
Midway through Pakistan’s chase, Agha, batting fluently for 64 off 62 balls, was backing up at the non-striker’s end. Mohammad Rizwan punched a firm drive straight back. The ball ricocheted off Agha’s pad and bat and stopped. Mehidy Hasan Miraz circled behind the batter, scooped up the ball and, in one swift motion, threw down the stumps. Agha’s bat was still short. The TV umpire needed only one replay.
Initial reaction
The all-rounder flung helmet and gloves, clearly livid. A brief exchange with wicketkeeper Litton Das followed. Little else was said on field but the atmosphere felt prickly.
A calmer Agha faced the press later, speaking ahead of captain Shaheen Shah Afridi and Player of the Match Maaz Sadaqat.
“I think sportsman spirit has to be there,” Agha said. “What he [Mehidy] has done is in the law. I think if he thinks it’s right, it’s right, but if you ask me my perspective, I would have done differently. I would have gone for sportsman spirit. We haven’t done this [type of thing] previously, we would never do that in the future as well.”
What Agha thought happened
The 30-year-old believed the ball was effectively dead:
“Actually, the ball hit on my pad and then my bat,” he said. “So I thought he can’t get me run-out now, because the ball already hit on my pad and my bat.”
“I was just trying to give him the ball back. I was not looking for the run or anything like that, but he already decided [to make the run-out].”
Heat of the moment
Asked if he regretted the outburst, Agha nodded. “It was just heat-of-the-moment kind of stuff,” he said. “If you ask me what would I have done, I would have done things differently. But it was everything, whatever happened after that, it was in the moment.”
On the words exchanged with Litton, he shrugged: “I can’t remember what I was saying and I can’t remember what he was saying,” he said. “I’m sure I wasn’t saying nice things, and I’m sure he wasn’t saying nice stuff as well. But it was just heat of the moment, so we are fine.”
Has he spoken to Mehidy? “I haven’t yet, but don’t worry, I’ll find him.”
Analytical take
Run-outs at the non-striker’s end, or in this case a ricochet situation, sit in a grey space. Law 41.1 stamps out deliberate unfair play, but it also states that the ball is live until umpire calls ‘dead’. Mehidy acted within that framework. Whether one prefers a warning or a withdrawal is ultimately a personal – and cultural – choice.
Coaches increasingly remind players to stay in their ground; it is part of modern match awareness, like wearing a helmet. Equally, the unwritten code Agha referred to is still valued in some dressing-rooms.
Pakistan’s bigger picture
The visitors lead the series, their bowling again decisive. Left-arm quick Afridi took early wickets, while Sadaqat’s brisk 87 ensured a target Bangladesh never seriously threatened. For all that, Monday’s headlines have drifted towards the run-out. Agha’s wish is that the conversation moves on. He knows – and admitted – his own frustration added fuel.
Yet cricket, as ever, records only the scorebook. Pakistan go 1-0 up; Agha has 64 to his name; Mehidy has a direct hit. Opinions, though, will linger a little longer.
