The recently-concluded ODI series between Bangladesh women and Indian women made headlines. More than the performances, the series will be remembered for Indian captain Harmanpreet Kaur’s outburst towards the umpires after she was given out and during the post-match presentation as well. However, after her dismissal, she smashed the stumps before returning to the pavilion and slammed the umpiring as well.

Her outburst handed her a two-month suspension and demerit points from the ICC (International Cricket Council) as well. However, Bangladesh captain Nigar Sultana Joty recently opined on the matter. She added that Bangladesh looked up to Harmanpreet Kaur, and her actions left the entire team wondering how she could do that.

“You are right in saying such things happen in sports, and it is not the first time. You are also right in saying that it happened in the heat of the moment. However, had it been restricted to the field of play, honestly speaking, I would not have felt bad about it or felt disappointed. I would have told my players that it was all in the intensity of the moment, and it is better that all of us moved on from it,” Nigar Sultana Joty was quoted as saying by Revsportz.

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“But what really disappointed me was that it was not restricted to the field of play. Let me tell you something. For my players too, Harmanpreet is a legend of the game. They too look up to her. And when they came and said to me that how can a legend of her stature do this to us, I felt sad and disappointed. That’s what has pained me the most,” she further added.

Notably, it was obvious that the Indian captain wasn’t happy with the umpiring that took place in the ODI series between the two nations. She openly criticized that. But, Nigar Sultana Joty added that the same set of umpires were present in the T20I series as well which India won and then they had no issues.

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“The very same umpires officiated in the T20 series, which India won. In fact, that too was a very close series and I feel we should have done better in the second game and won it, but we did not. But that is not the point here. The moot point is the very same umpires officiated in the T20 series as well. There was not a single complaint from India. Is it because they had won the series? As players, you are always taught that the umpires’ decision is final and that we have to respect that. Let me also ask you this – had they won the final ODI, would they have raised the issue of umpiring or was it raised because they did not win the series, and they were disappointed and frustrated with the result?” concluded Nigar Sultana Joty.