'No case to be made that this was not out' - MCC on Salman Agha run-out

The Marylebone Cricket Club (MCC), custodians of the Laws of the game, have stated that Salman Ali Agha’s run-out by Mehidy Hasan Miraz was completely fair and well within the rules. 

The controversial runout took place during the second ODI between Bangladesh and Pakistan in Dhaka on March 13. Mehidy Hasan bowled to Mohammad Rizwan, who hit the ball straight back to the non-striker Salman Agha. With the ball entangled between his legs, the Pakistan batter bent down to give the ball back to Mehidy only for the bowler to beat him to the ball and dislodge the wicket to run him out. 

Despite questions over Spirit of the Game, the MCC put out a statement claiming that what Bangladesh’s Mehidy Hasan did was completely within the laws and deemed it fair. The MCC also stated that Agha was wrong in trying to pick up the ball without consulting the fielding team, which made him a candidate to be dismissed for Obstructing the Field, as the ball was still in play and not dead.

"Under Laws, there is little that either umpire could have done differently. The non-striker was clearly out of his ground when the wicket was broken, and the ball was in play. That is out,” the statement read. 

"It is also worth pointing out that the non-striker had left his ground when the ball was in play and had just started to attempt to regain his ground when he collided with Mehidy. Furthermore, no batter should attempt to pick the ball up without the consent of the fielding side, and had he done so, he would have been at risk of an Obstructing the field dismissal. In retrospect, he would have been better using that time to attempt to regain his ground,” MCC added. 

Agha was batting on 64 when he was run out. Pakistan, however, secured a 128-run victory in the end. They would still fall to a 2-1 series defeat in Dhaka, losing the first and the third ODIs in very heavy fashion.