DHAKA (Kashmir English): Pakistan team’s middle-order batsman Salman Ali Agha has spoken up on his controversial run-out during the 2nd ODI against Bangladesh at the Sher-e-Bangla Cricket Stadium in Dhaka.
Addressing the press conference after the match, Salman Ali Agha said that if he were in the place of the opposing player, he would have made a completely different decision.
Agha was playing well on 64 when Bangladesh captain Mehidy Hasan Miraz ran him out at the non-striker’s end, which triggered a debate around the ‘spirit of cricket’ and sparked mixed reactions from fans and former cricketers.
“Miraz’s run-out was correct as per the ICC rules, but I think sportsmanship should have been preferred on this occasion,” Pakistan T20I skipper said.
He added that if he had been in that situation, he would have probably made a different decision. He felt that the ball had become dead after hitting the pad and bat, so he was trying to give it back to the bowler, considering it dead.
Responding to a reporter, Agha said that if he [Mehdi Hasan Miraz] thinks it is right, that it’s his choice.”I would have acted differently, gone for sportsman’s spirit.”
Salman Ali Agha’s controversial run-out
The dismissal took place in the 39th over when Mohammad Rizwan pushed one down the ground; the ball went straight to the non-striker’s end, where Agha was standing.
The clips, getting viral from the match, showed that the ball stuck to Agha’s bat and on the pads while he was stepping out of the crease. Agha bent down to pick the ball up to hand it over to Mehdi Hasan, thinking that the ball was dead as it had hit his pad and bat.
However, Miraz quickly collected the ball, hit the stump, and started appealing for the run-out, which was eventually given out by the third umpire.
The Pakistan batter was visibly disappointed and angry after the dismissal and engaged in a war of words with Miraz before heading back to the pavilion.
Crucial moment! Mehidy Hasan Miraz removes Salman Agha with a brilliant run-out. ⚡🏏#BCB #Cricket #Bangladesh #Pakistan #ODI pic.twitter.com/N0inKkZVwz
— Bangladesh Cricket (@BCBtigers) March 13, 2026
Reaction to Agha’s run-out
As the controversial dismissal went viral on social media, it sparked a debate as some said it was well within the rules of the game and it showed Miraz’s game awareness, while others felt Miraz should have upheld the spirit of the game and not run out Agha, as the Pakistan batter was not trying to steal a run.
Former Pakistani cricketers Ramiz Raja and Hamad Hafeez called the Bangladesh captain’s action against sportsmanship.
Ramiz Raja said that, according to the rules, he was indeed run out, but in terms of sportsmanship, I am sorry that he suffered a big blow. “He was about to pick up the ball and return it to the bowler, but the bowler saw the opportunity for a run out,” Raja added.
Former Indian cricketer Mohammad Kaif has also spoken out on the controversial run-out, criticising Mehdi Hasan Miraz. Kaif has said that impatience to get wickets cannot justify such a run-out; such impatience was shown by a captain, which did not go well.
“Youngsters please remember, even if the World Cup final is on the line, never do what the Bangladesh skipper did. Sports without fair play are no sports,” he wrote in a post on X.
On the other hand, many criticised Salman Ali Agha for a lack of game awareness.
A user, Peter Della Penna, wrote on X that it was actually Salman Agha with the brain fade. “You can’t be reaching to pick up the ball when you’re that far out of the non-striker’s crease and then cry spirit of cricket.”
It is pertinent to mention that Pakistan won the match by 128 runs under the Duckworth-Lewis-Stern (DLS) method. Green Shirts scored 274 runs in 47.3 overs after being invited to bat first by the Bangladesh skipper.
