Controversy erupted during the Global T20 Canada 2024 after Mississauga Bangla Tigers refused to play their Eliminator match against Toronto Nationals following which they were deemed to have forfeited the contest resulting in them being knocked out of the competition.
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The Eliminator was delayed by rain and eventually, the organisers decided that there was only time for a Super Over – as per the regulations.
It was decided that the toss will be conducted at 7:10 PM local time with the Super Over between the two sides starting at 7:30 PM.
As per an official statement from GT20, Toronto Nationals captain Colin Munro was present for the toss but Mississauga Bangla Tigers’ skipper Shakib Al Hasan wasn’t.
“At the time of the toss, the Toronto Nationals captain was present, but the Bangla Tigers team refused to appear. The match referee explained the plausible consequences of the said action to the captain and thereafter the umpire subsequently called off the match,” read the statement.
The match referee reported the incident to the Tournament Technical Committee which “unanimously decided to award the match to the Toronto Nationals who advanced to play the Brampton Wolves in the second qualifier.”
Why Bangla Tigers Refused Super Over?
If the contest was a complete washout (with no scope of Super Over either), Bangla Tigers would have automatically advanced to the Qualifier 2 on account of finishing above Toronto Nationals in the league stage.
Bangla Tigers reportedly were unhappy with Super Over deciding their fate and hence Shakib didn’t turn up at the toss in protest.
Bangla Tigers owner Zafar Yasin also questioned the tournament organisers taking the assistance from Toronto owners to purchase additional covers on the day of the playoffs and raised concerns about the integrity of the competition.
“If the team owner intended to assist the tournament by purchasing covers, such a contribution should have been made before the tournament began, not before a crucial match. This situation raises concerns about the integrity of the league and the possibility that the league’s management decisions were influenced in favour of that team,” Yasin was quoted as saying by ESPNcricinfo.
The Qualifier 1, slated to be held between Montreal Tigers and Brampton Wolves earlier in the day, was a complete washout. Montreal progressed into the final as a result since they finished ahead of Brampton on the points table.
GT20 Canada Defends Decision
GT20 CEO Joy Bhattacharjya said the one-over shootout was part of the regulation and rules cannot be changed on the fly.
“We were trying to ensure there was a result either way, however heartbreaking as it may be for the team that loses a one-over shootout. And it was all part of the regulations,” Bhattacharjya told ESPNcricinfo.
“It’s not like the Super Over provision was brought in for just the game involving Bangla Tigers,” he said. “It was in place for both games (Qualifier 1 and eliminator). It’s just that it wasn’t possible for the first game, and because the second game happened much later in the day, there was a little more time for the ground staff to work on the outfield,” he added.
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