Bangladesh skipper Mashrafe Bin Mortaza has decided to stay away from making the questionable no-ball call by the umpires during the World Cup quarterfinal against India more controversial.
“Well, everyone saw what happened. I don’t want to say anything about this,” he told a press conference after the match at the Melbourne Cricket Ground on Thursday.
The Tigers ended their most successful World Cup campaign so far, finally going down to India by 109 runs.
During their innings, Rohit Sharma and Suresh Raina put India back in the game with an excellent 122-run partnership after they were pegged back at 115 for 3.
The pair was fortunate, though.
Raina had 10 to his name when he survived a close lbw review, with replays showing he was roughly 1mm from being given out.
Rohit, too, was lucky. He pulled a Rubel full toss straight to the fielder on the fence at square leg, but umpires Aleem Dar and Ian Gould deemed it a no-ball for height.
Replays showed it was under the waist when Rohit played it.
Rohit then went on to smash his maiden World Cup century to take India to 302 for 6.
Mashrafe Bin Mortaza’s short answer at the post-match media call came when asked whether the team’s focus was disturbed when the two decisions did not go their way.
Bangladesh had bowled with craft, guile and discipline to check the big-hitting Indians.
India were, however, desperate to push up their run rate during the batting power play while the Tigers looked for quick wickets.
“When you are playing against India you have to take wickets, otherwise it’s going to be very difficult. It would have been great if Rohit got out at that stage,” said Mashrafe.
Asked whether the no-ball call had a negative impact on the Tigers and the match could have been more competitive if Rohit got out, the Bangladesh captain decided to avoid the controversial matter again.
“I think I can’t say anything in here, but you all have seen what’s happened there.”
As another reporter asked whether the no-ball call had made the team thinking that the ICC was treating them differently, Mashrafe said, “I don’t think it would be appropriate to say anything about that. Actually I don’t have anything to say on that.”
“We needed a wicket. We had kept the Indians under pressure. It was a wicket, but the umpire called it a no-ball. I don’t think I should answer the other questions regarding this (incident).”
Chasing a huge 303 to win, Bangladesh ended their most successful World Cup campaign on Thursday when they crumbled under pressure and folded up for 193 in 45 overs at the MCG.
Source: Bd news24