Published: Mar 21, 2015, 05:28 PM (IST)
Edited: Mar 21, 2015, 05:28 PM (IST)
Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina criticised the umpiring during the ICC Cricket World Cup 2015 quarter-final between India and Bangladesh, saying that India would not have been able to defeat Bangladesh had it not been for the umpiring errors. The head of state’s comments came after International Cricket Council (ICC) President and Bangladeshi politician Mustafa Kamal threatened to resign after alleging that the match was “pre-arranged”. Read: Mustafa Kamal threatens to resign from ICC
According to a report on bdnews24.com, the Prime Minister called Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) President Nazmul Hassan during a reception organised for the team at Melbourne on Friday. “We would have won if the umpires did not give wrong decisions. In Sha Allah, Bangladesh will win in the future. Bangladesh will become world champions someday,” Hasina was quoted as saying.
ICC President Mustafa Kamal, who is the first ever Bangladeshi to be elected to the post, had earlier lambasted the umpires Aleem Dar and Ian Gould for their “poor umpiring” during the quarter-final, that he believed cost Bangladesh the match, with a special emphasis on Rubel Hossain’s full-toss that got Rohit Sharma caught at square-leg being adjudged no-ball. His comments however, were met with harsh criticism from ICC CEO Dave Richardson, as well as the umpires themselves. Read: ICC CEO Dave Richardson slams Mustafa Kamal
India defeated Bangladesh in the quarter-final at the Melbourne Cricket Ground on March 19 by 109 runs, bowling them out for 193 after scoring 302 runs for the loss of six wickets. Rohit Sharma top-scored for Bangladesh with a 126-ball 137, before a four-wicket haul by Mohammed Shami got the better of the talented Bangladeshi line-up. The result did not go down well with the Bangladesh fans, who cried foul over the ‘biased umpiring’, with protests occurring in the Bangladeshi capital of Dhaka. Read: India vs Bangladesh ICC World Cup 2015 Highlights
