Lahore, March 16, 2026: The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has formally lodged a complaint with match referee Neeyamur Rashid over a controversial on-field decision during the third One Day International against Bangladesh national cricket team in Mirpur on Sunday.
According to officials, the PCB has challenged umpire Kumar Dharmasena’s decision to allow Bangladesh to take a leg-before-wicket (LBW) review on the penultimate ball of the match, arguing that the review was requested only after a replay of the delivery appeared on the stadium’s big screen.
Pakistan management maintains that the replay may have influenced Bangladesh’s decision to review the call, which would be against standard Decision Review System (DRS) protocols that require teams to request reviews before any replay is shown to players.
The incident occurred when Pakistan needed 12 runs off the final two balls of the match. Bangladesh spinner Rishad Hossain bowled a delivery drifting down the leg side to Shaheen Shah Afridi, which the umpire initially signalled as a wide.
Following a brief discussion among the Bangladesh players, the fielding side opted to review the decision for LBW, even though the ball appeared to pass well away from Afridi’s legs.
Pakistan’s management argues that the stadium screen showed a replay indicating the ball passing the bat before Bangladesh decided to take the review. They have also questioned whether the request was made within the permitted 15-second window, noting that no visible timer was shown during the broadcast.
When the review was referred to Hawk-Eye technology, it indicated that the ball had grazed the toe of Afridi’s bat. While Bangladesh lost the LBW appeal, the third umpire overturned the wide call.
As a result, Pakistan were left needing 12 runs from the final delivery. Afridi was subsequently stumped while attempting a big shot on the last ball.
Bangladesh eventually secured an 11-run victory, sealing the three-match ODI series 2-1.
It remains unclear what action the PCB expects from the match referee, though sources suggest the board is seeking at least a formal acknowledgement of the alleged procedural lapse.
The controversy comes just days after another disputed incident in the second ODI, when Salman Ali Agha was run out while attempting to hand the ball to Bangladesh all-rounder Mehidy Hasan Miraz.
Agha reacted angrily to the dismissal, leading to a heated exchange between the players. The Pakistan skipper was later fined 50 percent of his match fee and handed a demerit point, while Mehidy received a 20 percent match fee fine for his role in the altercation.
