Towhid Hridoy’s opinion regarding poor umpiring decisions

Bangladesh's batter Towhid Hridoy didn't mince words when expressing his dissatisfaction with the umpiring standards during their match against South Africa at the Nassau County International Cricket Stadium in New York. Hridoy believed that Bangladesh had to bear the brunt of poor umpiring decisions, ultimately impacting the outcome of the game.

In the critical 17th over of their run chase, a delivery from Ottneil Baartman struck Mahmudullah's pad and raced to the fine leg boundary for a four. Despite South Africa's appeal for an LBW and the umpire initially raising his finger, the decision was overturned upon review. However, since the umpire had already given it out on the field, the ball was immediately considered dead, depriving Bangladesh of those crucial four runs. This decision proved decisive as Bangladesh ended up losing by the same narrow margin.

Reflecting on the incident, Hridoy lamented, "To be honest, that was not a good call for us in such a tight match. Those four runs could have changed the match scenario." He also pointed out other instances where umpiring errors, such as not awarding wides correctly, further added to Bangladesh's woes.

Acknowledging the fallibility of umpires, Hridoy emphasised the importance of such close calls in low-scoring matches like these, where every run counts. Despite his personal contribution of 37 runs off 34 balls, Hridoy couldn't help but feel the weight of the missed opportunity, especially considering Bangladesh's confidence in chasing the target.

"In that position, I should have finished the match," Hridoy admitted, recognising the missed opportunity to seal the victory for his team. He attributed the challenge for new batters to adapt quickly to the conditions, underscoring the critical nature of his role in the team's chase.