World Cup 2015: Bitter Bangladesh to Challenge India Over Controversial Rohit Sharma Ton
Mustafa Kamal, who is the ICC president from Bangladesh, is unhappy with the umpiring which led to his country losing the World Cup quarter-final vs India by 109 runs.
The International Cricket Council's Bangladeshi president has threatened to quit over the umpiring in his country's World Cup quarterfinal defeat to India, suggesting the match appeared to have been fixed.(Bangladesh to Take Mater up With ICC)
Mustafa Kamal told Bangladeshi reporters in Melbourne after Thursday's match at the MCG that he would raise the issue at the ICC's next meeting, saying the umpires' decisions seemed to have been "pre-arranged".(Bangladesh Fans Cry Foul)
"As the ICC president, whatever I have to say I will say it in next meeting. It could happen that maybe I will resign," Kamal said in comments aired on Bangladeshi television.(Mashrafe Unhappy With No-Ball Call)
"There was no quality in the umpiring. It looked like they took the field after it (the outcome) was pre-arranged," he alleged.(Bangladesh Lose by 109 Runs vs India)
His comments came as protests erupted in Bangladesh after the cricketing minnows suffered a 109-run defeat by holders India, due in large part to a blistering knock by Rohit Sharma who top-scored with 137.
Sharma was caught at deep mid-wicket off the bowling of Rubel Hossain when he was on 90, only for the umpires Aleem Dar and Ian Gould to signal a no-ball for what appeared to be a legitimate waist-high delivery.
Bangladeshi fans were also furious at the dismissal of star batsman Mohammad Mahmudullah who was caught close to the boundary rope.
The match was the biggest in the history of the cricket-mad nation, marking the first time that Bangladesh had made the World Cup quarterfinals.
Many fans wept only after the defeat while protestors also burned an effigy of Dar, who hails from Bangladesh's great rival Pakistan.
Kamal, whose position has been largely ceremonial since India's Narayanaswami Srinivasan became the body's chairman last year, said the ICC's acronym seemed to stand for the Indian Cricket Council.
"I cannot represent the Indian Cricket Council. If someone has imposed a result on us, in that case no one can accept it," added Kamal who is a minister in the Bangladeshi government.
Bangladesh's exit dominated the front-page headlines on Friday with, many commentators blaming shoddy umpiring for the defeat.
"Tigers fall to controversial calls," read the lead in the Dhaka Tribune while the the headline of the mass-circulation Bengali daily Kaler Kantha read: "The dream run ends in umpiring scandal."