[Isam]

Sporadic battles erupted in the Premier Cricket League yesterday, leaving cricket in the lurch.

Two players were suspended for a game each and Shakib Al Hasan was handed a fine as the two incidents in BKSP and Bogra also underlined the need for stronger umpiring in domestic cricket.

Though Mohammedan Sporting Club beat Surjo Tarun by three wickets, thanks to a fine half-century from the defending champions' new Pakistani recruit Mohammad Yousuf, and Abahani crushed Gazi Tank by seven wickets in a clinical display, cricket became secondary during the latter part of the day.

It was found out that none of the umpires' reports at the end of the two matches were an accurate representation of what actually happened. One CCDM (Cricket Committee of Dhaka Metropolis) official, requesting anonymity, said that the reports clearly indicated the weaknesses of the umpires assigned to domestic matches. The umpiring is not only poor but many also lack the courage to take important decisions. “It just shows the umpires' limitations. They do not want to point fingers at the bigger teams,” said the official. “If the umpires gave a true account of what happened, the punishments would have been appropriate,” he added.

At the Shaheed Chandu Stadium in Bogra, Gazi Tank's Sabbir Rahman Rumman and Riyad were suspended for a match each after they squared off mid-pitch following Rumman's sledging of Abahani's Australian import Lee Carseldine. In almost the same time in Savar, Mohammedan skipper Shakib stood his ground for several minutes after being given out. He questioned the umpire Mizanur Rahman Milon's decision before trudging off as his teammates abused the umpires.

The left-hander's attempted sweep was adjudged caught-behind off Sohrawardi Shuvo in the 19th over. The country's premier all-rounder stood his ground in a huff for close to five minutes and went up to the umpire to question the decision. Some Mohammedan players vented their frustration by abusing the umpire in question. “He [Shakib Al Hasan] was not satisfied. He stood down for more than the allowable time. It was not expected from the captain of the team,” said match referee Roquibul Hassan.

“He went to the umpire and said that it struck his hand, there was no abusive language from Shakib. I called up Tamim [Iqbal] as witness to Shakib as the vice-captain is usually asked to do that when the captain is involved,” added the former national captain.

In the Bogra incident, a melee broke out between the batsmen and some of the fielders after Rumman's verbal attack on Carseldine, according to those watching the match. Riyad retaliated and at the same time, Gazi Tank captain Naeem Islam and Nasir Hossain got involved.

“Shakib was fined Tk 10,000 while in Bogra, Riyad and Rumman were both suspended for one match each. Naeem and Nasir were also fined Tk 5,000 and Tk 3,000 each,” informed CCDM coordinator Qazi Aynul Islam.

MSC-SURJO TORUN
The Shakib incident apart, it was a tight game after Surjo Torun made a fighting 245-7 from their 50 overs. Hamidul Islam struck four boundaries and three sixes in his 71 and Junaed Siddiqui made 69. Dhiman Ghosh too made sure of a stiff Mohammedan chase with his 19-ball 39 that included four sixes.

Tamim Iqbal again made a good start but his 55-ball 66 ended in the 18th over. After Shakib's controversial dismissal, Faisal Hossain (54) and Yousuf added 104 for the fifth wicket, steering the Motijheel outfit to a second win

GAZI-ABAHANI
Before being suspended, Riyad took three wickets as Abahani skittled out Gazi Tank for only 131 runs in 39.1 overs. Pacemen Alauddin Babu and Abul Hasan also took two wickets each.

Later, Riyad and Carseldine stuck together till the end through their unbroken 110-run stand as Abahani completed their third win in a row, while Gazi suffered their second consecutive defeat.

BRIEF SCORES
SURJO TORUN: 245-7 in 50 overs (Hamidul 71, Junaed 69; Shakib 2-33).

MSC: 246-7 in 49.1 overs (Tamim 66, Yousuf 58 not out; Razzak 2-44).

Result: MSC won by 3 wickets.

GAZI TANK: 131 all out in 39.1 overs (Paranavitana 23, Riyad 3-24).

ABAHANI: 132-3 in 29.3 overs (Riyad 57 not out, Carseldine 51 not out).

Result: Abahani won by 7 wickets.