'He wasn't saying nice things': Salman Ali Agha on war of words with Bangladesh captain Mehidy Hasan Miraz

NEW DELHI: Pakistan all-rounder Salman Ali Agha has broken his silence on the heated exchange that followed his controversial run-out at the hands of Bangladesh skipper Mehidy Hasan Miraz in the second ODI at Dhaka’s Sher-e-Bangla National Cricket Stadium, admitting that neither player “was saying nice stuff” once the dismissal was confirmed.

The flashpoint arrived in the 39th over with Pakistan rebuilding at 180 for three after early wickets. Agha, then partnering Mohammad Rizwan in a 109-run fourth-wicket stand, had wandered out of his crease while backing up. Rizwan nudged Miraz’s delivery gently down the pitch; the ball brushed Agha’s pads, rolled to his bat and, as the batter stooped to return it, Miraz whipped off the bails and appealed. Third umpire upheld the run-out, sparking an angry reaction from Agha and a brief but sharp verbal skirmish between the two captains.

Television footage captured Agha gesturing in frustration while Rizwan attempted to mediate with the Bangladesh fielders. Pakistan nevertheless channelled the incident into a dominant performance, defending a revised target to win by 128 runs under the DLS method.

Speaking after the match, Agha accepted the legality of the dismissal but questioned the spirit in which it was executed. “What he has done is in the law. I think if he thinks it’s right, it’s right, but from my perspective, I would have done it differently. I would have gone for sportsman’s spirit,” he said.

Agha insisted he had no intention of stealing a run. “The ball hit my pad and then my bat. I thought he can’t get me run-out now… I was just trying to give him the ball back,” he explained. “I was not looking for the run, but he already decided to make the run-out.”

Asked about the subsequent exchange, Agha was candid: “I can’t remember what I was saying, and I can’t remember what he was saying. I’m sure I wasn’t saying nice things, and I’m sure he wasn’t saying nice stuff as well. But it was just the heat of the moment, so we are fine.”

The incident has reignited debate over cricket’s unwritten codes, yet Agha was quick to draw a line under the spat, stressing that Pakistan “haven’t done this type of thing previously” and “would never do that in the future.”