T20 World Cup 2022: Shakib Al Hasan expresses dissent, refuses to go off after controversial LBW call

South Africa's inexplicable exit from the T20 World Cup earlier in the day opened the doors for Pakistan and Bangladesh with both teams engaging in a hotly contested affair in Adelaide. The Bangladeshi team, who moaned about the umpiring decision in the loss against India, will feel hard done by the officials yet again after skipper Shakib Al Hasan was dismissed following a controversial decision by the third umpire. The Bangladeshi skipper made his displeasure known to his umpires before walking off the field.

Bangladesh were in a strong position after skipper Shakib Al Hasan decided to bat first in the decisive fixture against Pakistan. The loss of Soumya Sarkar brought Shakib to the crease in the 11th over of the match. But the Bangladeshi skipper was adjudged LBW on the very first delivery faced. He reviewed the call instantly to the third umpire.

The replays showed a clear spike on the ball when it passed the bat before hitting the pads of the batter. But the third umpire felt there was no clear-cut evidence to overturn the on-field call, meaning the Bangladeshi skipper was dismissed for a golden duck. Shakib was visibly shocked by the decision and stood his ground, making his feelings clear to the on-field umpires before making a slow walk toward the dugout. 

Shakib's dismissal was a body blow for the Bangladeshi outfit as they were jolted by wickets on consecutive deliveries, snatching their early momentum. The Pakistani bowlers, buoyed by the massive scalp of Shakib, made light work of the Bangladeshi middle order. Shaheen Afridi was the tormentor in chief, returning with career-best figures of 4/22 in his four overs to restrict Bangladesh to a paltry 127 in their 20 overs. A failure to defend the total will put Pakistan in the semis along with arch-rivals India, who qualified for the next stage following South Africa's loss.