Pakistan question timing of Bangladesh’s lbw review, claiming the decision was taken after the replay appeared on the stadium big screen during the final over of the third ODI.
Thank you for reading this post, don't forget to subscribe!Pakistan have officially lodged a complaint with match referee Neeyamur Rashid regarding a controversial DRS review taken by Bangladesh in the final moments of the third ODI at Sher-e-Bangla National Cricket Stadium in Mirpur. The Pakistan team management raised concerns over on-field umpire Kumar Dharmasena allowing the review, claiming it was taken after a replay of the delivery was shown on the stadium’s big screen.
According to the Pakistan camp, the Bangladesh players may have been influenced by the replay before deciding to challenge the on-field decision. Standard DRS protocols require teams to make the review call before any replay is shown, ensuring that the decision is not influenced by additional visual evidence.
The incident occurred on the penultimate ball of the match with Pakistan needing 12 runs from two deliveries. Bangladesh spinner Rishad Hossain bowled a flighted delivery on leg stump that spun further down the leg side away from Shaheen Afridi. Umpire Dharmasena initially signaled it as a wide.
However, after a brief discussion among Bangladesh players, the team opted to review the decision for lbw. Pakistan believe the replay, which showed the ball passing close to Afridi’s bat, may have prompted Bangladesh to challenge the call. They also questioned whether the review was taken within the 15-second time limit, as no timer appeared on the broadcast.
The controversy intensified once the decision went to the DRS. UltraEdge showed a spike when the ball passed the toe end of Afridi’s bat, indicating a faint contact. As a result, the original wide call was overturned. Although Bangladesh lost the lbw review, the delivery was no longer counted as a wide, leaving Pakistan needing 12 runs off the final ball.
Afridi attempted an aggressive shot on the last delivery but was stumped, sealing an 11-run victory for Bangladesh and confirming a 2-1 series win.
It remains unclear what specific action the Pakistan Cricket Board is seeking from the match referee, though reports suggest the board expects at least an official acknowledgment if a procedural error occurred.
This is the second umpiring-related controversy Pakistan have been involved in during the series. In the second ODI, Salman Agha was run out while attempting to hand the ball back to Mehidy Hasan Miraz. The heated exchange that followed resulted in Agha receiving a demerit point and a 50% match-fee fine, while Miraz was fined 20% of his match fee.


