There has been yet another controversy involving Bangladesh star cricketer Shakib Al Hasan, and this time, it is from the Global T20 (GT20) tournament in Canada, where his team, Bangla Tigers Mississauga, were eliminated from the competition after he, as captain, refused to play the Super Over, to decide the result of the match.
The Bangla Tigers were scheduled to play the Toronto Nationals in the Eliminator game of the tournament on Saturday, August 10, but the match was threatened due to the continuous outpour of rain, affecting the pitch.
According to the rules, a minimum of five overs are required to be played in T20s, for the result of the match to be declared, but since it was a playoff game, the match officials could not simply abandon the game with a point each awarded to either team as they did for the last two league matches.
The Qualifier 1 match between the Brampton Wolves and the Montreal Tigers was also abandoned due to rain, with the Montreal team qualifying for the Final as they were placed higher in the points table, while the Brampton team had to play the Qualifier 2, according to the competition rules.
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Why did Shakib Al Hasan refuse to play the Super Over in GT20 Canada Eliminator match?
Ahead of this Eliminator match, the Bangla Tigers were placed higher in third position, compared to the Toronto team, who were placed fourth. However, the match referee, who has the authority to decide the proceedings "on the field", announced that the match would only be decided by a Super Over, with six balls for each team.
The Bangla Tigers captain, Shakib Al Hasan refused to play the Super Over as he felt that it would be unfair to his team, if their status in the tournament was to be decided by the result of a twelve-ball match.
The loser of the Eliminator would be eliminated from the tournament, according to the playoff rules, which are similar to that in the Indian Premier League (IPL).
When Shakib did not appear for the toss, the match referee, in consultation with the technical committee decided that the match would be awarded to the Toronto Nationals instead, with the Bangla Tigers officially forfeiting the match as a walk over.
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GT20 Canada CEO Joy Bhattacharjya speaks out about the Shakib Al Hasan controversy
The Global T20 Canada tournament's CEO Joy Bhattacharjya offered clarifications to the media about the controversy that ensued earlier, involving Shakib Al Hasan.
"Quite simply, yesterday we were aware that there was going to be rain in the morning. The match was supposed to start at 4 PM but the umpires saw the pitch and wanted more time to prepare it. They finally got it ready and decided the toss will be at 7:10 PM, with a Super Over game at 7:30 PM, within the playing conditions."
"At that point (at 7:10 PM), both captains and the match referee were supposed to appear with the umpire, for the toss. The Bangla Tigers skipper [Shakib Al Hasan] did not come out for the toss, and since he did not arrive, the match referee had to call the match off and the technical committee decided that the match would be awarded to the Toronto Nationals instead."
The match referee has the power to decide the rules on the field, and off the field, the decision is left to the technical committee, who are only answerable to the International Cricket Council (ICC).
Joy noted that the decision to play a Super Over and subsequent elimination of the Bangla Tigers from the tournament was not unfair, because both teams had equal opportunities, and that it was within the rules of the game.
"It was not a case of the team not having an opportunity. The team had an opportunity to play a Super Over and the captain chose not to come out for the toss. Therefore, it is regarded in ICC and other sporting laws, what we call as a forfeiture. It is unfortunate but that is the story," he concluded.
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