'It's Her Problem': Bangladesh Captain Nigar Sultana Slams Angry Harmanpreet Kaur's Behaviour During End-Of-Series Photograph

The third ODI between India and Bangladesh finished as a tie. That meant the teams had to share the trophy. At the presentation ceremony, there was no end to Harmanpreet Kaur's anger as she ranted about bad umpiring and then took a potshot at the umpires.

India and Bangladesh women's teams pose with trophy. (Image source: Twitter)

After India women and Bangladesh women ODI series came to an controversial end, things went ugly during the presentation ceremony. India captain Harmanpreet Kaur after slamming the 'umpiring standards' in the series, mocked the Bangladesh women's team and the local umpires again. During the end-of-series photograph in which both the teams shared the frame as joint-winners, Harman began to ask match umpires - Muhammad Kamruzzman, Tanvir Ahmed - to come into the frame as well. That was a sarcastic invitation as what Harman meant was that umpires were a part of the Bangladesh women's team after all.

Harmanpreet's potshot at the umpires did not go down well with Nigar Sultana, the Bangladesh captain, and she took her team to the dressing room in anger. 

“Bring the umpires too. 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," Harmanpreet was heard saying on mic while posing with the trophy with Sultana. 

“Bring the umpires too.”

“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.”

~ Harmanpreet Kaur pic.twitter.com/VRTEiswxRv

— Cricketopia (@CricketopiaCom) July 23, 2023

The Bangladesh captain later reacted to the whole incident, saying that the umpiring levels were perfectly alright. Sultana said that the umpires officiate in men's cricket and they were 'good'. Sultana said that umpire's decision is the final decision and the players must respect that. 

On Harmanpreet Kaur's behaviour during the photo-taking event, Sultana indirectly asked Harmanpreet to learn 'better manners'. "It is totally her problem. I have nothing to do with it," Nigar said in the press conference when asked about the incident. "As a player, she could have shown better manners. I can't tell you what happened, but it didn't feel right to be there [for the photograph] with my team. It wasn't the right environment. That's why we went back. Cricket is a game of discipline and respect."

Harman has been reportedly fined 75 percent of the match fee while she has also received four demerit points for smashing the stumps after getting out. She had lost her cool after getting frustrated by the umpire's decision to adjudge her out Leg-Before-Wicket (LBW). Earlier, Yastika Bhatia had also got out to a controversial decision.

At the end of the match, Harmanpreet had slammed the umpires, saying this series saw 'some pathetic umpiring'. 

"Some pathetic umpiring was done and we are really disappointed about some decisions given by the umpires," Harmanpreet said at the post match presentation. "A lot of learning from this game. Even apart from the cricket, the type of umpiring that was happening there, we were very surprised. The next time whenever we are coming to Bangladesh, we'll have to make sure we have to deal with this kind of umpiring and accordingly we'll have to prepare ourselves," said India captain.

India vice-captain Smriti Mandhana tried to play down the incident that involved her captain, saying it happens due to the heat of the moment.

"I think it's just when you play for India, you want to win the match and it happens in the heat of the moment. But I think she wasn't really happy with the decision given. And she felt that she wasn't out. So that came about. But yeah, I just feel that it's just the heat of the moment and nothing much," Mandhana said in the post-match press conference.