India women’s team vice-captain Smriti Mandhana on Saturday displayed remarkable composure during the press conference following the thrilling third ODI against Bangladesh in Mirpur. Despite being bombarded with questions about India captain Harmanpreet Kaur’s behavior and fiery comments on umpiring standards, Mandhana gracefully acknowledged that Kaur’s act of smashing the stumps with her bat in frustration was not in line with the spirit of the game but attributed it to the “heat of the moment.”
“What happened during the match is part and parcel of the game. We’ve seen these incidents so much when we see men’s cricket so I’m sure you know something like this happening in women’s cricket (is not unusual). When you want to play for India, you always want to win and in the heat of the moment, she wasn’t really happy with the decision given. She was given out, she felt she wasn’t so that is why that reaction came out,” Mandhana said during post-match presentation after the 3rd ODI which ended in a tie after India’s lower order collapsed while chasing 225.
“Knowing Harman as a person, knowing how much she wants to win (it can happen) but from the spirit of the game, I wouldn’t say it is acceptable.”
Mandhana on Hamanpreet’s post-match comments
Mandhana was also grilled over Hamanpreet’s post-match comments. The India captain criticised local on-field umpires, Muhammad Kamruzzaman and Tanvir Ahmed, labeling their umpiring as “pathetic” and disrespecting Bangladesh captain Nigar Sultana Joty. As per Bangladeshi media, while posing for the team photo after the post-match presentation, Harmanpreet asked the organisers to call the umpires for the photo as they were the reasons for the shared trophy.
Responding to such questions regarding umpiring during the match, Mandhana said, “We are really disappointed about some decisions given by the umpires.”
And, on Harmanpreet calling umpires for photo ops, Mandhana adds, “I don’t think (she said this). You have stated it. I don’t think she said anything towards the Bangladesh captain. From whatever I heard, think talked a bit about umpiring. I don’t think she said anything about them (the Bangladesh players).
“We should not talk about things which did not happen during the match. In the post-match things were not camera, that is something which happened after the post-match presentation, so let’s not talk about it,” Mandhana added.
Harmanpreet’s action and her comments are likely to attract sanctions from the ICC. “We are no one to decide on a ban or anything. There’s an ICC panel to decide on those things.”
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Updated: 23 Jul 2023, 10:39 AM IST
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