Mehidy Hasan Miraz Earns Praise for Fair Play in BPL After Refraining from a Timed Out Appeal

In a recent Bangladesh Premier League (BPL) match between Khulna Tigers and Chittagong Kings, an incident occurred that drew attention to Mehidy Hasan Miraz’s sportsmanship. Miraz, the captain of Khulna Tigers, had the chance to run out Chittagong's batter, Thomas O'Connell, in the same way Shakib Al Hasan did with Angelo Mathews during the last World Cup. However, Miraz chose not to take that route, and instead, he opted for fair play, earning praise from the opposing team’s captain, Mohammad Mithun.

The event took place on Tuesday during the match when Chittagong began to lose wickets quickly while chasing down the target set by Khulna. O'Connell, the South African batter, was not quite prepared to bat when his turn came. After Haider Ali was dismissed in the 7th over, O'Connell was left waiting at the dressing room as he had not yet geared up to come to the field.

As the delay continued, Miraz appealed for a timed-out dismissal to the umpires, who responded by allowing O'Connell to walk back to the dressing room. However, shortly after, Miraz changed his mind and called O'Connell back to the field. Despite this, O'Connell was dismissed on the very first delivery he faced from Miraz.

At the post-match press conference, Chittagong’s captain, Mohammad Mithun, praised Miraz for his sportsmanship. Mithun said, "Miraz showed great maturity here. He certainly deserves credit. In a T20 match, this shouldn't happen. A batter should always be ready." He further added, "O'Connell might not have expected such a quick fall of wickets, which caused him to prepare slowly. I think Miraz handled the situation excellently, and he truly deserves praise. And of course, it's within the rules of cricket that the fielding side can appeal for a timed-out dismissal if the batter isn't ready in time."

Miraz's decision not to take the timed-out dismissal highlights his leadership and fair approach to the game, earning him the respect of both his teammates and opponents.