Harmanpreet Kaur slams umpires after Bangladesh tie

India’s Harmanpreet Kaur. File
| Photo Credit: AFP

India women’s cricket captain Harmanpreet Kaur took an unprecedented swipe at the umpires after her team drew the third match of a one-day series against Bangladesh.

The draw in Dhaka meant the series ended 1-1, and Kaur was displeased.

“The type of umpiring that was happening there, we were very surprised,” Kaur said in the post-match presentation after the final match of the series ended in a tie on Saturday.

“The next time whenever we are coming to Bangladesh, we’ll have to make sure we have to deal with this kind of umpiring and accordingly, we’ll have to prepare ourselves,” she added.

Bangladesh won the first match of the series by 40 runs – the side’s first ever ODI win against India – before the tourists levelled the series in the second match with a 108-run win.

In the decider, India were all out for 225 in 49.3 overs, equalling Bangladesh’s 225-4, during which Fargana Hoque (107) became the first-ever Bangladeshi woman to score a century in international cricket.

Kaur smashed the stumps after being given out for 14 during the chase, and later criticised the umpiring.

“Some pathetic umpiring was done, and we are really disappointed about some decisions given by the umpires,” she said.

Local media reported that when both teams were attending a photo session, Kaur shouted “bring the umpires too”, apparently suggesting they were part of the Bangladesh squad.

A Bangladesh Cricket Board official told AFP that Kaur could be fined 75% of her match fee – 50% for smashing the stumps, and 25% for her criticism of the umpires.

Teammate Smriti Mandhana later defended Kaur’s smashing of stumps.

“She felt that she isn’t out… I just feel that it’s just the heat of the moment and nothing much,” Mandhana said.

“We kind of expect a little better level,” she added. “There was not even a second thought given when the ball was hitting the pad when our batters were batting.”

She said the International Cricket Council, as well as both countries’ governing bodies, should “have more of a discussion on that, and maybe we can have a neutral umpiring system from maybe next time”.

India won the Twenty20 part of the series 2-1.