'Sportsmanship wasn’t compromised': Litton Das pulls no punches on Salman Ali Agha after run-out controversy
Published - 14 Mar 2026, 03:28 PM
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Experienced Bangladesh batter Litton Das backed captain Mehidy Hasan Miraz for the controversial Salman Ali Agha run-out incident. While most of the cricket fraternity expressed outrage over the incident against the dignity of cricket, Das pointed out that they acted as per the cricket rules.
Hitting back at the critics, Litton Das strongly claimed that Miraz did nothing wrong, as an out is an out; there was no lack of sportsmanship involved in the run out.
Salman Ali Agha tried to help; in return, the bowler made him run out
In the second ODI of the three-match series, Bangladesh captain Mehidy Hasan Miraz dismissed Pakistan captain Salman Ali Agha in a controversial runout. In the first innings of the match on March 13 in Dhaka, Salman Ali Agha, in a friendly gesture, tried to pick the ball from the ground to hand it over to the bowler Miraz. The ball stopped in front of Agha's boots after hitting his pads in the non-striker's end.
When Agha went to pick the ball, he was well outside of the crease. Before the batter could grab the ball, Miraz, in a quick reaction, picked up the ball and instantly threw it at the stumps to conduct a run out. Agha was then batting on 64 off 62, a well-set batter.
Agha burst out in anger after a brief discussion with the field umpire and the opposing team captain. Out of anger and emotions, he threw his gear on the ground before searching for it.
Out is out: Bangladesh National Cricket Team keeper-batter Litton Das
As per the rules, Agha was run out; the umpires might not have made any mistakes to declare Salman Ali Agha out. But the way Mirza dismissed the batter sparked a widespread controversy. Former cricketers like Mohammad Amir and Mohammad Kaif strongly condemned the act, stating it was an utterly wrong way to get rid of a batsman.
Though Litton Das, a veteran Bangladesh keeper-batter, says that Mirza did nothing wrong. He spotted the opportunity and delivered according to that.
"First of all, no one came here to play a charity league; this is an international match. Since the dismissal is within the rules, I don’t see from any angle that sportsmanship was compromised. Everyone is entitled to their own personal opinion. But as players, we felt that an out is an out," Litton Das asserted in an interview with Daily Star Bangladesh.
The third ODI shapes like a final between the two teams in Dhaka
Meanwhile, that runout did not help the home team to win the match. Pakistan, with the half-centuries from Maaz Sadaqat and Agha, registered 274 runs against 10 wickets. Under the wet clouds, Bangladesh managed to get only 114 runs before losing their tenth scalp.
With Pakistan as the winner of the second match, the 3-match ODI series levels are 1-1 with one more match to be played. The third match is all set to be arranged on March 15.
Read More: Salman Ali Agha blasts Mehidy Hasan Miraz for 'killing' spirit of cricket in run-out drama
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Salman Ali Agha Litton Das Mehidy Hasan Miraz Pakistan National Cricket Team Bangladesh National Cricket Team Bangladesh vs PakistanAbout the Author
This author is a member of Cricketaddictor who writes news and analysis related to cricket.
