Pakistan batter Salman Ali Agha said he would have handled the recent run-out incident differently if he were in Bangladesh captain Mehidy Hasan Miraz’s position during the second ODI of the three-match series at the Sher-e-Bangla National Cricket Stadium in Mirpur on Friday.
The incident occurred in the 39th over of Pakistan’s innings when Agha was dismissed in unusual fashion by Mehidy, leaving him visibly frustrated. Mohammad Rizwan had pushed the ball back towards the bowler, and it travelled to Agha at the non-striker’s end. Both Agha and Mehidy attempted to collect the ball, with the spinner reaching it first and breaking the stumps with an underarm throw.
Agha immediately expressed his frustration as on-field umpire Tanvir Ahmed referred the decision to the third umpire. Kumar Dharmasena confirmed Agha was outside the crease and declared him out, ending a 109-run fourth-wicket partnership that had stabilized Pakistan after losing three early wickets. Agha scored 64 off 62 balls.
Reacting to the incident after Pakistan’s 128-run victory under the DLS method, Agha said, “I mean, I’m sure everyone has seen it. It was just heat-of-the-moment stuff. If you ask me what I would have done, I would have done things differently. But whatever happened after that was just the heat of the moment.”
He clarified that while Mehidy acted within the laws of cricket, he personally would have chosen a different approach, emphasizing sportsmanship. “It is within the law and I always want to follow the law. But when we talk about sportsman spirit, I think that should be up there no matter what the situation. From my perspective, I would have gone for sportsman spirit,” he said.
Agha explained that he believed the ball had already struck him and had no intention of taking a run. “It hit my pad and then my back. I was just trying to give him the ball back because I wasn’t looking for a run or anything like that. But he probably had a different thought,” he added. He confirmed that he and his teammates would avoid such dismissals in the future.
Regarding the heated exchange with Mehidy immediately after the run-out, Agha remained diplomatic. “I can’t remember exactly what I was saying and I can’t remember what he was saying. I’m sure I didn’t say nice things and I’m also sure he didn’t say nice things. But it was just the heat of the moment. We are fine. I haven’t spoken to him yet, but we will. Don’t worry, we are fine,” he said.
Pakistan now leads the ODI series and will aim to continue their momentum in the final match.
Keywords: Salman Ali Agha, Mehidy Hasan Miraz, Pakistan cricket, Bangladesh cricket, ODI series 2026, run-out controversy, sportsmanship debate, Sher-e-Bangla Stadium, Pakistan vs Bangladesh, cricket news, cricket laws, Mohammad Rizwan, Pakistan ODI team
