Bangladesh captain Mashrafee bin Murtza speaks during a press conference at the Zahur Ahmed Chowdhury Stadium in Chittagong on Tuesday.
Bangladesh captain Mashrafee bin Murtaza hit visiting English media for a six before the start of today’s title decider by refusing to offer England players any apology for their celebration in Sunday’s second one-day international in Dhaka.
The International Cricket Council fined Mashrafee and batsman Sabbir Rahman 20 per cent of their match fees as match officials deemed that they had overstepped in their cerebration to the dismissal of England captain Buttler.
The ICC also cautioned Buttler, who reacted angrily to the dismissal following a TV replay.
Buttler’s dismissal for 57 was pivotal on Sunday, with England starting poorly while chasing Bangladesh’s total of 238-8.
‘Actually we didn’t do anything wrong so we shouldn’t appolgise,’ Mashrafee told at press conference in Chittagong on Tuesday, replying to a question of a visiting journalist.
‘Whatever we feel, we just celebrated, we don’t have to say sorry but whatever the things happened, match referee was there (to judge it).’
The incident dominated the build up to today’s series decider as England also dragged the issue after the match.
Ben Stokes apparently refused to handshake with Tamim Iqbal and engaged himself in a heated argument with the Bangladesh opener.
Mashrafee said he saw the video of the incident and didn’t find any fault of Tamim.
‘We went very normally to shake hands with the players as we were normal,’ he said.
‘When we lost the first match, we were normal back then as well, and even after winning the second match we went to shake hands normally.
‘I don’t want to blame anyone, but if you speak of Tamim’s fault then I will tell you that I have seen the video as well and I was there ahead of Tamim at that point of time.
‘I will tell you that there was no fault of Tamim. I didn’t hear Tamim say anything or see him do anything.’
Mashrafee was confident that the controversial event will not create any distraction for them in the curial title decider.
‘Our team is completely normal and I am hundred per cent sure that my team is not thinking about this,’ he said.
‘We are just thinking of how we can play the third ODI well. I am sure all our players will be calm and we will try to do our best in the final ODI.’
Mashrafee said he did not feel it was necessary to give England any reply with bat and ball after the excessive reaction to what Bangladesh tried to project only a lively celebration.
‘I have played for 16 years, we have heard comments of many people and we have kept on playing, the Bangladesh team has played, and I don’t think that we did something unjustly,’ he said.
‘Maybe many things may happen in the heat of the moment, so one doesn’t have to go overboard with this,’ he said.
Source: New Age