Ugly scenes marred the final moments of sixth T20I of Nidahas Trophy tri-nation series between Sri Lanka and Bangladesh at the R Premadasa Stadium in Colombo on Friday, March 16.
Heated words were exchanged between the two sets of players after an umpiring decision went against the visiting team in the final over, from which they needed 12 runs to win. Tensions escalated as a miffed Bangladesh captain, Shakib Al Hasan stopped play and called the two batsmen back to the dressing room.
Senior batsman Mahmudullah proved he was one of the saner minds during the chaotic episode as he carried on with the game and helped Bangladesh seal a place in Sunday's final against India with a six off the penultimate ball.
Even as Bangladesh players were wildly celebrating their win, more words were exchanged and the umpires had to get involved to calm the situation down.
Catering staff name player
As it turned out, the chaos spread off the field so much so the door of Bangladesh dressing room at the R Premadasa Stadium was shattered.
Someone from inside the Bangladesh dressing could have caused the damage to the glass door, according to ESPNcricinfo. The Bangladesh Cricket Board has offered to pay for the damage.
This is the state of the Bangladesh dressing-room at Premadasa. Local sources at the ground confirm damage but are not yet releasing the name of the player who did the damage. #nidahastrophy2018 @ICC will definitely be taking a closer look. pic.twitter.com/U3CKOpgPnR
— Anand Vasu (@anandvasu) March 16, 2018
Bangladesh dressing room door at R Premadasa stadium shattered during celebrations following heated conclusion to match against Sri Lanka #Cricket pic.twitter.com/UNTjP7GddD
— Azzam Ameen (@AzzamAmeen) March 16, 2018
Players were seen running towards the field from the dressing room as the shattered glass bits were scattered on the stairs, according to footage from an outward-facing CCTV camera, the report adds.
Catering staff at the Premadasa Stadium have named a player, who according to them was responsible for the damage, during their discussion with match referee Chris Broad. The latter has reportedly asked the local officials to go through the available CCTV footage and get more clarity about the incident.
Umpires will also be studying the match footage to decide if they need to press charges against players involved in the tussle.
Chaotic scenes during final over
It all started during the final over of Bangladesh's 160-run chase when a Bangladesh reserve player, carrying drinks on the field, was shoved by a Sri Lankan player even as Mahmudullah was arguing the umpires' refusal to award a no-ball in the tense final over.
Skipper Shakib, miffed by the on-field incidents, helped raise quite a few eyebrows when he signaled Mahmudullah and non-striker Rubel Hasan to get back to the dressing room even as four balls were left to be bowled.
Senior campaigner Tamim Iqbal and Bangladesh's interim coach Courtney Walsh made sure the tension did not escalate during their team's over-the-top celebrations after the winning six was hit.
'I need to remain calm'
Shakib conceded that he lost his calm during the final over and insisted he would handle similar situations better in the future.
"Many things happened that shouldn't have happened. I need to remain calm. I was overjoyed. Excitement was there. I must know how to react next time. I will be careful," Shakib was quoted as saying by the report.
"What happens in the field should never spill over off the field. To be honest, we are all good friends. We see each other in the Bangladesh Premier League and Dhaka Premier League. The two boards have great relations. We help each other a lot."
