Screengrab of the incident.© X/BCBtigers
Former Pakistan cricketer and Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) chairman Ramiz Raja lamented that Pakistan star batter Salman Ali Agha paid the price for trying to do a “good deed” after he was controversially run out by Bangladesh captain Mehidy Hasan Miraz in the second ODI in Dhaka on Friday. Raja stated that Mehidy’s actions were against the spirit of the game, but not outside the rule book. He also said that there was no room for friendliness in cricket, and gave Bangladesh “10 out of 100” in a scathing criticism of Mehidy’s act.
For the uninitiated, Agha was out of his crease at the non-striker’s end after backing up after Mohammad Rizwan had nudged a delivery by Mehidy back towards the bowler. At this point, Agha and Mehidy got into a bit of a tussle for the ball, with the Pakistan batter even trying to pick it up and hand it back.
However, Agha was well outside his crease while doing so. Mehidy ended up picking up the ball first and was quick to dislodge the stumps, leaving Agha stranded.
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
“I come from a different school of thought. Today, the game is played differently; teams go for the jugular the moment they see an opportunity! This was outside the sportsman’s spirit,” Ramiz Raja said, speaking on the incident.
“He (Mehidy) was well within his rights to get that run out. Agha’s intention here was to do a good deed. You never do that to the opposition,” Raja added.
“Agha’s stern reaction was obvious. The intentions of both players were very different. One player was trying to run the other out while the second one was trying to be friendly. And there’s no room for friendliness in this contest,” he further said.
“I would give Bangladesh a 10 out of 100 for this. They could have done a bit better,” Ramiz Raja concluded.
Despite the incident, Pakistan ended up clinching a convincing 128-run victory (via DLS method) to level the three-match ODI series at 1-1.
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