Salman Ali Agha Run-Out Controversy: MCC Gives Final Verdict on BAN vs PAK 2nd ODI ‘Spirit of Cricket’ Debate

The Marylebone Cricket Club (MCC) has responded to the contentious run-out of Pakistan skipper Salman Agha during the second ODI against Bangladesh in Dhaka, claiming that the removal was fully compliant with the Laws of Cricket, according to ESPNcricinfo. 

The MCC did note, however, that given the circumstances, the batter was out of his ground and Bangladesh might have decided to withdraw the appeal in the spirit of cricket. 

The run-out happened in the 39th over of Pakistan’s batting innings in the second ODI following a collision between Agha, who was backing up at the non-striker’s end, and bowler Mehidy Hasan Miraz, who was crossing the pitch to field a shot from Mohammad Rizwan. Agha, who may have believed the ball was dead, also bent down to pick it up and return it to the bowler as Mehidy tried to retrieve it. Agha was still out of his ground when Mehidy grabbed the ball and smashed over the stumps before the batter could do anything. 

Salman Agha Brings in The Spirit of Cricket Into Discussion

Agha made reference to the Spirit of the Game following the game, stating that he would have acted differently and opted to maintain sportsmanship. Salman Agha was asked about his thoughts about the dismissal. Attending the traditional post-match conference, he said, “What he (Mehidy) did is within the laws of the game. If he thinks it’s right, then it’s right. But if you ask for my perspective, I would have done things differently. I would have gone with the spirit of the game. We haven’t done this previously, and we would never do that in the future as well.”

MCC Releases Statement

The MCC, the custodians of the Laws of Cricket, said in a statement released on Monday that the umpires were right to dismiss Agha and that the batter ran the risk of being removed for trying to pick up the ball and obstructing the play.

“Under Laws, there is little that either umpire could have done differently. The non-striker was clearly out of his ground when the wicket was broken, and the ball was in play. That is out,” the MCC said in a statement.

“It is also worth pointing out that the non-striker had left his ground when the ball was in play and had just started to attempt to regain his ground when he collided with Mehidy. Furthermore, no batter should attempt to pick the ball up without the consent of the fielding side, and had he done so, he would have been at risk of an Obstructing the field dismissal. In retrospect, he would have been better using that time to attempt to regain his ground,” the statement reads further.

The MCC clarified that the ball was not dead during the incident, as collisions do not make it so and there was no serious injury. Even under the new law coming in October, the ball cannot be considered “finally settled” while a fielder is actively attempting a run-out. Therefore, Agha’s dismissal was fully lawful, and there is no basis to argue it should be ruled Not Out or that the Law needs changing.

“There have been some suggestions that the ball should have been treated as Dead. That is not viable under the Laws; the ball does not become dead when players collide – if it did, that would incentivise players to seek out collisions when the situation was advantageous. There was no question of a serious injury, so there could be no call of Dead ball for that. It could not have been clear to the umpire that all the players ceased to consider the ball to be in play, since Mehidy clearly believed it was live, even if Agha did not. And it cannot have been finally settled in the hands of the bowler or wicket-keeper, since it was on the ground,” the MCC said in a statement. 

“Under the new Laws, which will come into effect in October, an umpire will be able to determine that the ball is finally settled if it is stationary on the ground. However, it is hard to make an argument that the ball is finally settled if the nearest fielder to it is attempting to run the non-striker out, with that non-striker out of their ground. There is no case, therefore, to be made that this was Not out under Law, nor that the Law could be re-written to somehow make a situation like this Not out,” it added. 

The MCC noted that while the dismissal was lawful, the fielding team could have chosen to withdraw the appeal in the spirit of cricket, as Agha appeared to think the ball was dead and was trying to help after an accidental collision. 

“Yet many people have expressed sympathy for Agha and suggested that this dismissal was against the Spirit of Cricket. It certainly would have been possible for Mehidy, as the Bangladesh captain, to withdraw his appeal. Agha clearly thought the ball was dead and was attempting to assist the fielding side after an unintentional collision which made it harder for him to regain his ground. The Laws allow a withdrawal for incidents where the batter is out in Law, but the fielding side feels that it would be better, within the Spirit of Cricket, to allow them to continue,” the statement added.

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