Even Hasina blames loss on bad umpiring
Date
3/22/2015 3:26:00 AM
(MENAFN- Khaleej Times) Bangladesh Prime Minister sheikh Hasina has added fuel to the fire by endorsing views that India would not have been able to defeat Bangladesh in the World Cup quarterfinal had there been no umpiring errors.
Media reports said Hasina called Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) president Nazmul Hassan during a reception in Melbourne on Friday and greeted the players on the phone.
Connected to a loudspeaker via the phone, Hasina told the players: "We would have won if the umpires did not give wrong decisions. Insha Allah, Bangladesh will win in the future. Bangladesh will become world champions some day."
The reports said Hasina praised the cricketers for their performance in the tournament and hoped they would be able to carry forward the momentum they had in the World Cup.
"There's nothing to be upset. Everyone has seen how we were made to lose. We will win in the future," she told the team.
Her comments came as protests erupted in Bangladesh after the minnows suffered a 109-run defeat by India. Bangladesh blamed shoddy umpiring for the defeat.
Rohit Sharma, who top-scored with 137 in the match, was caught in the 40th over by Imrul Kayes at the deep midwicket while trying to pull a full toss delivery from Rubel Hossain.
Umpires Aleem Dar and Ian Gould signalled a no-ball, though TV replays showed it as a legitimate waist-high delivery. Rohit added 47 runs after that to take India to 302 and completed his century.
On Friday, the International Cricket Council's Bangladesh president Mustafa Kamal threatened to quit over the umpiring, suggesting the match appeared to have been fixed.
He told reporters in Melbourne after Thursday's match that he would raise the issue at the ICC's next meeting.
"As the ICC president, whatever I have to say I will say it in the next meeting. It could happen that maybe I will resign," Kamal said.
"There was no quality in the umpiring. It looked like they took the field after it (the outcome) was pre-arranged," he alleged.
Kamal said the ICC's acronym seemed to stand for the Indian Cricket Council.
"I cannot represent the Indian Cricket Council. If someone has imposed a result on us, in that case no one can accept it," added Kamal, who is a minister in the Bangladeshi government.
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