CHITTAGONG: Bangladesh Cricket ODI captain Mashrafe Mortaza on Tuesday (October 11) categorically said his team did not make any mistake by celebrating the wicket of visiting England team’s captain Jos Buttler in the second match of ODI Series.

While addressing a press conference before the third match, to be played at Zahur Ahmed Chowdhury Stadium in the port city on Wednesday, Mashrafe said: “That was a normal celebration. There is nothing to say sorry to anyone as we did not make any mistake”.

“Cricket is a gentleman’s game. We are focusing on the third match as that is more important,” he added.

The ICC fined Mashrafe Mortaza and Sabbir Rahman 20 percent of their match fees finding them guilty of “using language, actions or gestures which disparage or which could provoke an aggressive reaction from a batsman upon his/her dismissal during an international match” that held on October 9 in Dhaka.

Besides, ICC reprimanded Jos Buttler who was involved in an angry exchange with home players when he was dismissed following a review in the match.

ICC’s elite panel match referee Javagal Srinath decided on the punishment.

The consequences of the on-field debate was seen during shaking hands of players upon completion of the match when English all-rounder Ben Stokes had shown a belligerent face to Tiger opener Tamim Iqbal. Bangladesh all-rounder Shakib Al Hasan cut them short.

In response to a question of a journalist, Mashrafe further said: “We celebrated in the same style after beating them (England) in a match of last World Cup in Australia. Maybe that was within code of conduct then.”

“Maybe the match referee fined Sabbir and me this time thinking our celebration crossed the limit of the code of conduct,” he added.

According to the Tiger captain, that incident, however, was over and they were focusing on the next game.

BDST: 1650 HRS, OCT 11, 2016
SR/RR/SMS