'Mustafizur penalised to appease Indian team management'

Dhoni was shown video footage of the incident that happened in the 25th over when the India captain clattered into Rahman while running a single. Photo: TV grab

Star Online Report

Graphic image taken from Hindustan Times.

The Indian team management was braced to lodge an appeal with the International Cricket Council (ICC) if only Mahendra Singh Dhoni was penalised at the hearing with ICC match referee for shoving Bangladesh bowler Mustafizur Rahman, Hindustan Times reported.
The Indian newspaper quoted a source as saying that both on-field umpires Rod Tucker and Enamul Haque had written in their reports that the Indian captain had got involved in a deliberate and inappropriate physical contact with Mustafizur, the debutant Bangladeshi bowler from Satkhira.
Initially, the report was only against Dhoni.
In the eventual ruling by match referee Andy Pycroft, Dhoni's experience went against him.
"In the hearing, Dhoni defended the charge on the basis that the bowler was on the wrong line and realising that he couldn't avoid the collision, he used his hand and arm to push him away as he went through to 'minimise the impact,'" Pycroft said.
"However, my assessment was that Dhoni deliberately pushed and shouldered Mustafizur, which was inappropriate.” added the match referee.

The same had been relayed to the Indian management at around 1:00am when the team returned to their hotel after losing to Bangladesh in the first ODI.
Although Bangladesh supporters celebrated the win over India, they didn’t take Dhoni’s collision with Mustafizur in a good light.
Print and especially social media carried the incident extensively and many felt aggrieved about Mustafizur’s harsh punishment.
When Indian captain MS Dhoni was called by match referee Pycroft at 2:00 am after reaching the hotel, he realised things were about to get serious regarding his collision.
Members of Indian team management accompanied MS Dhoni to the meeting where the batsman was presented with umpire’s report against him.
Dhoni was given three options by the match officials of ICC during the disciplinary hearing.
The options
Dhoni was given three options by the ICC - accept the charges and face punishment deemed appropriate, accept the charges and request a smaller penalty or contest the charges, reported the Hindustan Times.
After several rounds of meetings, the last one being held between Dhoni, Virat Kohli, team director Ravi Shastri and manager Biswarup Dey in the morning, they decided to contest the charges.
They were also prepared to lodge an appeal if Pycroft had penalised only Dhoni.
"Our main defence was Dhoni never tried to intentionally hurt Mustafizur," said a team source.
At the hearing, held around 10 am, Dhoni was shown video footage of the incident that happened in the 25th over when the India captain clattered into Rahman while running a single.
The pacer had to leave the field after that. The source said that Dhoni chronologically described what happened while the footage was being shown and also pointed out that his elbow was never raised during the moment of contact.
"With Rahman on the wrong side and Suresh Raina to his right, Dhoni had very little gap to go through for his single. He couldn't have gone to his left and run down the middle of the pitch.”
“And surely he couldn't have skirted both of them since that could have led to a run-out. No batsman would want that," said the source.
Rahman and Bangladesh manager Khaled Mahmud Sujon were also summoned after Dhoni's hearing.
The bowler had first pleaded not guilty to the charges but once the footage was shown, he admitted that getting in Dhoni's way was not appropriate and that he should have done more to avoid contact.
Not pursuing matter
Once Pycroft announced that Dhoni and Rahman had been fined 75% and 50% of their match fees respectively, the Indian management decided not to pursue the matter further.
"Had Rahman not been punished we would have lodged an appeal. But now it's fine," said the source to the Hindustan Times.
According to a statement by the ICC, Pycroft was not convinced that Dhoni couldn't have avoided the collision and hence it was deemed a Level 2 breach, which falls under ICC rule 2.2.4 (inappropriate and deliberate physical contact between players).

Bangladesh gaining respect among peers: Hathurusingha

Chandika Hathurusingha wants his batsmen to cash in on starts. Photo: Bangladesh Cricket Board

ESPNcricinfo.com

Bangladesh coach Chandika Hathurusingha has said that India sending their best team for the ongoing ODI series is an indication that they regard Bangladesh as a stronger unit than last June. He was, however, not entirely satisfied with his team's performance on Thursday despite them posting their biggest win against India.
"The best example (of the change in the Bangladesh team) is that India is sending their strongest team," Hathurusingha said.
"It speaks for itself, how far we have come from that series to now. It is always good to gauge your success or what you are doing, by how your peers are looking at you. I think it is a big rap for our boys that India came with their full strength. Our confidence is high, the way we are playing now is also a bit different."
During last year's three-match ODI series, India were without regular captain MS Dhoni, Virat Kohli, Shikhar Dhawan, Rohit Sharma, R Ashwin, Ravindra Jadeja, Bhuvneshwar Kumar and Mohammad Shami. But Suresh Raina's side won 2-0, including the one in which they bowled Bangladesh out for just 58 runs.
It was also Hathurusingha's first assignment as head coach and it was a tumultuous time after Shakib Al Hasan had got into a fracas with a fan during one of the matches.
Bangladesh turned around their fortunes remarkably since the Zimbabwe series last November, winning nine consecutive ODIs at home on either side of a decent World Cup campaign. This time India are only without Shami who is recovering from a knee injury.
Hathurusingha, however, was not pleased with the Bangladesh batsmen giving away good starts in the first game.

Tamim Iqbal and Soumya Sarkar got to fifties but didn't push on despite looking comfortable. Debutant Litton Das and Mushfiqur Rahim fell early before Shakib Al Hasan and Sabbir Rahman got them back into reckoning with a strong fifth-wicket stand.
"I am not happy at all with the last game," Hathurusingha said. "That's the scary part: we still can improve in all departments. We played better against Pakistan. I think we are looking to improve from the next game.
"When you get a start, we always talk about going big in partnerships. We talk about simple things, which we did well against Pakistan. I want them to do that in the middle. We had three-four hundreds against Pakistan. If one of the top batters get set and go for a big score. it helps us to score big runs," he said.
On Mustafizur Rahman, who took a five-wicket haul on debut in the previous match, Hathurusingha said it helped him that he is an "unknown factor" but his job would only get challenging as teams would start preparing for his kind of bowling.
"Definitely for any bowler, when you come into international cricket, because you are unknown factor, it is a big plus," he said.
"Nowadays even before that, they can look at videos and be prepared. For Mustafizur it is going to be a challenge because people get to know more and respect him a bit more. But again, he has to execute well, so has the batsmen. We expect the Indians to come hard at us."

BNP hits out at govt for abduction of BGB man

Nayek Abdur Razzak

UNB, Dhaka

Terming the abduction of a Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB) member by Myanmar border force as shameful, BNP today demanded the government to enhance the efficiency and capability of the force to stop the recurrence of such incidents.

“It’s a matter of shame that Myanmar newspapers published a photo of BGB Nayek Abdur Razzak who was abducted by the border force of that country,” said BNP spokesman Asaduzzaman Ripon.

He further said, “Our heads have hung in shame seeing the photo of handcuffed and lungi-wearing member of border guard of a nation which had forced over 90,000 members of Pakistani soldiers to surrender, carried out a big Liberation War and built an independent Bangladesh.”

Addressing a press briefing at BNP’s Nayapaltan central office, Ripon demanded the government immediately bring back the BGB Nayek through intensified diplomatic efforts.

He also asked the government to issue a strong warning to Myanmar so that they do not dare to repeat such an incident in the future.

Myanmar’s Border Guard Police (BGP) opened fire on a Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB) patrol boat in Teknaf of Cox’s Bazar district in the early hours of Wednesday.

A BGB sepoy, Biplob Kumar, suffered bullet wounds during the firing and another BGB member, Abdur Razzak, was abducted by the BGP. Abdur Razzak is yet to be released by the BGP.

Voicing deep concern over the incident, the BNP spokesman said, “The border force of another country dared to carry out such an incident as our BGB members are not used properly.”

“Almost every day our people are getting killed along the borders. It’s the BGB’s responsibility to ensure security along our border and the lives of our people. It’s not their duty to suppress the opposition and shoot them. We’re observing with regret that our border guards are not used properly and they are not developed efficiently,” the BNP leader said.

Referring to the deployment of BGB members to face political problems, he said, “During the opposition’s movement, BGB director general Major General Aziz Ahmed made a boastful remark that BGB men carry arms to use those. We also believe in lawful use of arms. But, a BGB member was shot and another abducted by the border force of another country though they were equipped with lethal arms.”

The BNP leader urged the government to take measures so that the GBG members can concentrate on their main duty to protect and guard the border.

“We call upon the government to take necessary steps for enhancing the capability of our BGB members so that no foreign troops dare to pick up them in such an insulting way. They should be building with enough professional skills and strength so that no force dares to shoot them.”