After the thrilling tied match against Bangladesh in the third ODI held in Mirpur, Harmanpreet Kaur, the captain of the Indian women’s cricket team, unleashed a fierce criticism of the umpiring standards.
In the post-match ceremony, Kaur expressed her frustration with the ‘pathetic’ officiating by umpires Muhammad Kamruzzman and Tanvir Ahmed, with Moniruzzaman as the third umpire and Akhtar Ahmad as the referee.
During the match, Kaur herself was on the receiving end of a controversial lbw decision, which prompted her to vent her anger by hitting the stumps with her bat.
She strongly criticized the umpiring and asserted that India would prepare for such challenges in future tours to Bangladesh.
While the presenter at the ceremony tried to downplay the issue, Kaur didn’t shy away from expressing her disappointment with some of the umpiring decisions.
She praised Bangladesh’s batting performance but reiterated that the umpiring decisions had significantly affected the game.
India faced three crucial decisions against them during the tense second innings while chasing 226
Yastika Bhatia was given out lbw against Sultana Khan, a decision that left her visibly displeased, although it was a close call.
Harmanpreet Kaur, too, was unhappy with her dismissal, signaling that she had edged the ball before being caught sweeping in front by Nahida Akhter.
The most contentious decision occurred on the third ball of the final over when the scores were level, and India’s No. 11, Meghna Singh, was adjudged caught behind off a delivery by Bangladesh’s bowler.
Despite her and Jemimah Rodrigues’ protestations that there was no edge, Meghna had to leave the field.
The absence of the Decision Review System (DRS) and poor broadcast coverage further compounded the issue, as there was no way to verify the accuracy of the umpires’ calls. As a result of the tied match, the series was declared drawn.
Harmanpreet Kaur’s sharp criticism highlights the importance of better officiating and technology like DRS in women’s cricket for fair play and fewer controversies.
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