It was on the cards for Harmanpreet Kaur to be penalised after the Indian skipper lost her temper both on and off the field following dissatisfaction over the umpire’s decision during the third and series-deciding ODI against Bangladesh last Saturday.
Harmanpreet was suspended for the next two international matches following two separate breaches of the ICC Code of Conduct.
For Bangladesh, it was a huge moment to beat a team like India for the very first time in the ODI format in the first game and then to go on to draw the three-match series 1-1, with the final game tied, in dramatic fashion — an outcome that could be regarded as a stepping stone for women’s cricket in the country.
Despite Harmanpreet’s shocking behaviour during and after the game, Bangladesh players expected appreciation from their opponents who are among the top teams in world cricket.
“We expected appreciation from them and some words of encouragement which would have motivated our players,” Bangladesh skipper Nigar Sultana Joty told The Daily Star.
Upon hearing an unpleasant comment from Harmanpreet, Joty left the field with her teammates midway through the post-match photo session with the trophy and the Indian players.
“But what they did certainly does not leave a good message. The two teams were standing for the photo session and there was no point saying such a thing in front of the players as they could complain to the match referee according to the rules. Obviously, it felt bad when they were not showing respect. So, I felt there was no point in standing there as I respect my teammates and I can’t accept that,” Joty added.
According to Joty, Harmanpreet, a seasoned campaigner with a total of 284 international appearances, should have not dragged the matter outside of the field as it only relayed a bad message to the players around the world who look up to the Indian captain as a role model.
“Cricket is a game of discipline and most importantly, whatever we do inspires others. So, we won’t do anything that gives a bad message to the others who look up to us. As for the captain of India, whatever happened during the game — whether it was losing temper or showing frustration — was normal but it was not right to carry that even after the game. We could have lost the game but in the end, we played better cricket and tied the match,” she said.
