"It was deplorable to see Harmanpreet Kaur call the umpires to pose with the Bangladesh team" - Diana Edulji
Former India women's captain Diana Edulji has called out current skipper Harmanpreet Kaur for her conduct in the third ODI against Bangladesh on Saturday, July 22.
Kaur has recently been in the headlines for all the wrong reasons. Showing her displeasure at on-field umpire Tanvir Ahmed's decision to adjudge her out LBW, Kaur smashed the stumps with her bat in frustration. After the match ended in a dramatic tie, Harmanpreet Kaur took a jibe at Bangladesh by asking the umpires to join the joint-photo session during the presentation ceremony. The three-match series was drawn 1-1.
Bangladesh-W captain & her team left the photo session after Indian-W captain Harmanpreet Kaur told them,
-“Why you are only here? You haven't tied the match. The umpires did it for you. Call them up! We better have photo with them as well.”
BCB to notify BCCI & ICC soon. pic.twitter.com/PnyEQxoYuC
Reacting to Kaur's behavior in the series decider in Dhaka, Diana Edulji wrote in a column for The Indian Express:
"It was deplorable to see Harmanpreet call the umpires to pose with the Bangladesh team, suggesting that they were part of the team and playing for them.
"I have been very disturbed by the visuals from Saturday’s India-Bangladesh women’s game at Sher-e-Bangla National Stadium in Dhaka that ended in a tie. I have been watching cricket for a long time but have never seen anyone behave the way India skipper Harmanpreet Kaur did after the game. What happened in Bangladesh was uncalled for."
The 67-year-old added:
"However, what happened post-game was not needed, all the more because Harmanpreet is the Indian captain. She has set a bad example for her teammates. I say that because juniors look up to seniors and this, over a period of time, can impact the team culture. This makes Harmanpreet’s behaviour all the more unacceptable."
Bangladesh women’s captain Nigar Sultana has hit out at Indian skipper Harmanpreet Kaur after the latter openly criticized the umpiring during the series.👀
#HarmanpreetKaur #BANvIND #Umpiring pic.twitter.com/2JtjYoTGVa
Harmanpreet Kaur likely to face ICC sanction
Following her on-field behavior during the third ODI against Bangladesh, Harmampreet Kaur is likely to get four demerit points and a two-match suspension from the International Cricket Council (ICC).
The 34-year-old could miss a couple of India's knockout matches at the 2023 Asian Games. India have earned a direct spot in the Asian Games, based on their ICC rankings in T20Is (No.4).
The ICC is yet to issue a verdict over the Indian skipper's conduct but reports have suggested that the global governing body of the game is considering taking serious action.