“This was way too much” - Shahid Afridi hits out at Harmanpreet Kaur over her behavior in 3rd ODI against Bangladesh
Former Pakistan captain Shahid Afridi has lashed out at India Women’s captain Harmanpreet Kaur over her behavior in the third ODI against Bangladesh during the recently concluded series. Afridi stated that while controlled aggression is good, Harmanpreet clearly crossed the line with her antics.
The Indian Women’s skipper made news for the wrong reasons multiple times during the third ODI against Bangladesh at the Sher-e-Bangla National Cricket Stadium in Dhaka on Saturday.
Reacting to her shocking behavior, Afridi, who himself had behavior issues on the field, told Samaa TV:
"This is not just India. We've seen these things in the past as well. Although, we don't see this often in women's cricket. This was way too much, it was a big event under ICC. With the punishment, you set an example for the future. You can get aggressive on cricket; controlled aggression is good, but this was a bit too much.”
Following her dismissal in the third ODI, Harmanpreet smashed the stumps with her bat, clearly unhappy with the decision. As she walked back she argued with the umpires and even gave a “thumbs up” to the crowd.
Former Pakistan captain, Shahid Afridi expressed his disappointment over Harmanpreet's conduct.🗣️
#ShahidAfridi #HarmanpreetKaur #Cricket pic.twitter.com/wCKGlyctJ2
After India collapsed from a winning position and were forced to settle for a tie, Harmanpreet lashed out at the umpiring in the series at the post-match press conference, terming it “pathetic”.
That was not all. At the joint photo session of the two teams, she passed a nasty remark, asking the umpires to join in, indirectly claiming they had a role to play in the result. The Indian captain’s behavior forced Bangladesh to walk out of the photo session.
Harmanpreet Kaur suspended for Code of Conduct breach
The India Women’s captain has been suspended for the next two international matches following two separate breaches of the ICC Code of Conduct. A news report on ICC’s official website gave details of the same.
The report stated:
“Kaur was fined 50 percent of her match fee for the Level 2 offence and received three demerit points on her disciplinary record. She was found guilty of breaching article 2.8 of the ICC Code of Conduct for Players and Player Support Personnel, relating to “showing dissent at an umpire’s decision”.
“Kaur was also fined 25 percent of her match fee for a Level 1 offence relating to "public criticism in relation to an incident occurring in an international match" when, during the presentation ceremony, Kaur openly criticised the umpiring in the match. She received one demerit point on her disciplinary record for the same,” the report added.
The ICC has imposed a 50 percent match fee fine on Harmanpreet Kaur for the level 2 offence and sanctioned her three demerit points on her disciplinary record.⛔
#HarmanpreetKaur #BANWvINDW #IndianCricket pic.twitter.com/7rKv1rP0MU
Harmanpreet admitted to the offenses and agreed to the sanctions proposed by Akhtar Ahmed of the ICC International Panel of Match Referees. Following the ICC ruling, the Indian Women’s captain will be unavailable for the team’s first two Asian Games 2023 matches.