‘How can a legend of her stature do this to us’ - Nigar Sultana reflects on Harmanpreet Kaur’s outburst following ODI series

The ODI series between Bangladesh women and India women was recently concluded and ended in a draw. However, even more so than the performances, the series will be remembered for Indian skipper Harmanpreet Kaur’s outburst towards the umpires after she was dismissed, and during the post-match ceremony as well.

After her dismissal, she smashed the stumps before walking back to the pavilion and even called on the umpires while receiving the trophy, which indicated that they had just as much of a role in the series being drawn. Her outburst saw her receive a two-month suspension and demerit points from the ICC (International Cricket Council).

Furthermore, it was clear that her actions did not sit well with Bangladesh, as the team walked out of the post-match necessities and did not even click a picture together while sharing the trophy. Bangladesh skipper Nigar Sultana Joty recently came forward to give her take on the matter. She opined that Bangladesh looked up to Harmanpreet Kaur, and her actions left the entire side wondering how she could do this to them.

"You are right in saying such things happen in sports, and it is not the first time. You are also right in saying that it happened in the heat of the moment. However, had it been restricted to the field of play, honestly speaking, I would not have felt bad about it or felt disappointed. I would have told my players that it was all in the intensity of the moment, and it is better that all of us moved on from it," Nigar Sultana was quoted as saying by Revsportz.

"But what really disappointed me was that it was not restricted to the field of play. Let me tell you something. For my players too, Harmanpreet is a legend of the game. They too look up to her. And when they came and said to me that how can a legend of her stature do this to us, I felt sad and disappointed. That’s what has pained me the most," she added.

It was obvious that the Indian skipper wasn't happy with the kind of umpiring that took place in the ODI series between the two nations. She even went out to openly criticize the umpiring standards, however, her Bangladesh counterpart is of a different belief. Sultana stated that the same set of umpires were present in the T20I series which India won and then there were no issues. 

"The very same umpires officiated in the T20 series, which India won. In fact, that too was a very close series and I feel we should have done better in the second game and won it, but we did not. But that is not the point here. The moot point is the very same umpires officiated in the T20 series as well. There was not a single complaint from India. Is it because they had won the series? As players, you are always taught that the umpires’ decision is final and that we have to respect that. Let me also ask you this – had they won the final ODI, would they have raised the issue of umpiring or was it raised because they did not win the series, and they were disappointed and frustrated with the result?" concluded Sultana.