Summary of this article
Bangladesh beat Pakistan by 11 runs in the third ODI in Mirpur, sealing the series 2-1
Pakistan complained to match referee Neeyamur Rashid over umpire Kumar Dharmasena allowing Bangladesh to review the penultimate ball
Pakistan believe the review may have been taken after a replay appeared or outside the 15-second limit
Bangladesh defeated Pakistan by 11 runs in Mirpur, but the drama did not end with the final ball as Pakistan lodged a complaint following a controversial DRS decision during the closing moments of the third ODI on Sunday, 15 March. The win also sealed a 2-1 series triumph for Bangladesh in the three-match contest.
According to ESPNcricinfo, Pakistan’s team management registered the complaint with match referee Neeyamur Rashid, questioning on-field umpire Kumar Dharmasena’s decision to allow Bangladesh to take a review on the penultimate delivery of the run chase.
The incident occurred with Pakistan needing 12 runs from the final two balls. Rishad Hossain bowled a delivery that pitched on leg stump and spun further down the leg side away from Shaheen Afridi. Kumar Dharmasena immediately signalled it as a wide.
Bangladesh players, including Litton Das and Rishad, then held a brief discussion before opting to review for lbw. According to standard DRS protocols, teams must decide whether to review within 15 seconds and before any replay of the delivery appears on the stadium’s big screen, ensuring players are not influenced by televised footage.
Pakistan believe Bangladesh may have taken the review after a replay of the delivery appeared on the giant screen at the venue, which showed the ball passing close to the bat. The Pakistan camp also questioned whether the review was taken within the 15-second time limit, as no timer was visible on the broadcast feed.
When the review went to UltraEdge, a clear spike appeared as the ball passed the bottom of Afridi’s bat, suggesting it had brushed the toe end. As a result, the original wide call was overturned even though Bangladesh lost the lbw review.
The change in decision left Pakistan needing 12 runs from the final delivery instead of two balls. Afridi’s frustration was visible immediately after the call, and the innings ended moments later when he was stumped while attempting a big shot off the last ball, sealing Bangladesh’s 11-run victory and the series.
It remains unclear what action the Pakistan Cricket Board wants from the match referee, though the team management is believed to be seeking at least a public acknowledgement if any procedural error occurred during the review process.
The controversy followed another tense moment earlier in the series. During the second ODI, Pakistan captain Salman Agha was run out after stepping outside his crease while trying to hand the ball to Mehidy Hasan Miraz. The incident led to a heated exchange, with Agha later fined 50 percent of his match fee and given a demerit point, while Mehidy was fined 20 percent.
Bangladesh’s victory in the final match secured a 2-1 series win as they began preparations for the upcoming ODI World Cup on a positive note.
