The controversy that erupted during the last over of the Bangladesh innings against Sri Lanka in a must-win encounter of the Nidahas Trophy seems to have spilled outside the field.
Shakib came out of the dressing room and called Mahmudullah back, argued with the off-field umpire and also argued with TV commentator Russel Arnold who was near the advertising hoardings. He was the picture of fury trumping good sense. It was learnt that Shakib and Nurul incurred a demerit point each and were fined 25 per cent of their match fees by the ICC match referee after the match.
It will not matter much of course, because Bangladesh won the game in grand fashion and for most Bangladesh supporters, many fuelled by imagined past injustices, that is all that matters. It also cements a true rivalry with Sri Lanka.
Shakib said after the match that he hoped Sri Lankans would support them in the final. Along with him saying that he was in fact telling the batsmen to continue when he was waving his arms towards the dressing room, that comment was perhaps the funniest thing about a very ill-tempered affair.
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