Shakib takes frustration to the extreme
The historic battle between archrivals Abahani and Mohammedan SC may have faded through the years but Shakib Al Hasan certainly felt the heat of the rivalry and took it to new heights, or depths based how you consider it, throughout a Dhaka Premier League T20 face yesterday.
What Shakib did at the house of cricket in Mirpur yesterday has hardly ever been seen on a cricket field in virtually any top-level game and it via an an experienced player like him was a lot more shocking.
Shakib, who's captain of Mohammedan, lost his temper not once, but twice. First, he kicked the stumps over when umpire Imran Parvez refused a leg-before appeal against Abahani skipper Mushfiqur Rahim in the fifth over. In the next over, Shakib uprooted the stumps along with his hands while fuming at the umpire following the umpire called for the covers to get presented due to rain prior to the final ball of the sixth over.
The players went off after rain halted proceedings with Abahani at 31 for three in 5.5 overs in chase of 146 runs, but Shakib escalated things once again by producing indecent gesture towards the Abahani dressing room.
That caused Abahani coach and Bangladesh Cricket Board director Khaled Mahmud to be enraged and take part in a war of words before Mohammedan batsman Shamsur Rahman pacified Mahmud and separated him from the problem.
However, following the incident, it was learned that the star cricketer visited the Abahani dressing room and supplied apologies.
Although there is no immediate reaction from match officials, the chairman of the Committee of Dhaka Metropolis informed that such incidents happen on the cricket field.
"Lots of things happen on the cricket field. Since it was a Mohammedan-Abahani encounter, we found a lot of excitement on the field and we saw an incident including Shakib Al Hasan. You also have witnessed what happened as it was telecast go on Facebook and YouTube in fact it is unfortunate. We realize that the players could easily get heated in some conditions but we always look and feel the players should hold their emotions under control," CCDM chairman Kazi Inam Ahmed explained.
During Mohammedan’s Dhaka Premier Group fixture against Abahani by the Sher-e-Bangla Stadium in Mirpur yesterday. PHOTO: FIROZ AHMED
"However, just like any international game, we have a specified department. The match referee and the umpires are anticipated to give a written report by tonight (Friday night). On that basis we will act accordingly."
According to ex - Bangladesh captain and international match referee Raqibul Hasan, this sort of offenses can cause suspensions and economic penalties, or both.
"If such incident occurred on a good cricket field, this is a breach of minimum level-2 offence. In such instances, the meet referee would take the on-field umpire's report and on that basis a decision could be taken," said Raqibul.
Interestingly, Shakib was mixed up in breach of the bio-secure bubble during a Mohammedan practice session only two days back.
The BCB and CCDM held a hearing with a strange outcome. Regardless of the affirmation of a breach and Mohammedan officials admitting to being aware of it, there have been no fines or suspensions meted out.
According to numerous, Shakib's outburst yesterday was linked to biased umpiring decisions, issues about which were raised in household cricket through the years.
Many also indicated that the explanation for the umpire to call off the play only a ball prior to the sixth over was first to favor Abahani in the calculation of the D/L method taking into consideration the result of the overall game. But Mohammedan were already ahead when it comes to the D/L method following the fifth over. They eventually won the game by 31 runs.
