The third Women's ODI was marked by controversial umpiring decisions.
The game was marked by controversial umpiring decisions that left Indian skipper Harmanpreet Kaur furious. After being given out LBW, Kaur hit the stumps with her willow and also gestured towards the umpire that there was bat involved while walking back to the pavilion.
Apparently, Harmanpreet Kaur also had a heated exchange with her Bangladesh counterpart Nigar Sultana.
After the game, Nigar refrained from revealing details of their conversation but admitted that the environment was not healthy for her team to stay on the ground.
“I went there to play the match. So let me speak about cricket. Neither we bothered about the pitch nor did we think about the umpires. Every player from our team tried to give their 100 percent. I am not concerned about what they are thinking,” Nigar Sultana said in the post-match press conference.
“It’s what she did and we have nothing to do about it. But as a player, she should have spoken with a bit of manners. It’s completely her matter and I would not want to make any comments on her. There were some talks which I cannot disclose. But I felt the environment was not right and so we left the place. Cricket is a respectful sport and is a gentlemen’s game,” she added.
In the post-match presentation, Harmanpreet didn’t hold back her disappointment and slammed the umpires for ‘pathetic’ decision making.
However, Nigar feels the umpires did an excellent job and one should always respect their decision, regardless of the situation.
“The umpires wouldn’t have given them out had they not been out. Two of the best umpires, who also officiated in men’s games, were there. We respected their decision. Why did we not react that way when we were given out? It doesn’t matter what the situation is. The umpire’s decision is the final decision. The umpiring was excellent. What about the catches and run outs? What do they have to say regarding that?” she remarked.
With this result, the three-match WODI series ended in a tie at 1-1. While Bangladesh won the series opener by 40 runs (DLS method), Harmanpreet and company thrashed the hosts by 108 runs in the second match.
(India Today Inputs)