DHAKA – Banned Australian cricketers David Warner and Steve Smith made alow-scoring debut in the Bangladesh Premier League on Sunday, amassing just30 runs between them as newly-minted skippers in the Twenty20 league.
The duo, who are serving international bans for ball tampering, faced offin the BPL opener in Dhaka, with Smith’s Comilla Victorians edging Warner’sSylhet Sixers by four wickets.
Their debut as foreign stars in the lucrative T20 franchise came asAustralia’s Test cricketers in Sydney stared down defeat against a ruthlessIndia.
Warner hit off-spinner Mahedi Hasan for three sixes in one over at theSher-e-Bangla National Stadium before a mix-up saw him run out for 14 off13 balls.
Warner ran for a single after his partner Towhid Hridoy pushed Pakistanicricketer Shoaib Malik towards square leg.
But Hridoy did not respond and both batsmen were caught at the same end asMalik dismantled the stumps.
The third umpire declared Warner out but replays indicated the Australianreached the striking end before his partner ground his bat back to thecrease.
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“I didn’t see what happened. But apparently I was in,” Warner said afterthe match.
“If you are standing behind the camera and you miss a decision like that,I don’t know. I can’t speak on their behalf of the one who makes thedecision. If I wasn’t out, I wasn’t out. I have to accept the decision.”
Smith meanwhile was declared caught from behind for 16 off 17 balls afterthe Sixers reviewed a not-out decision given by the on-field umpire.
The third umpire had to rely on sound from the bat to make his decision,with no snicko metre or ultra-edge technology available at the Dhaka ground.
Smith had Shahid Afridi to thank for his side’s win after the Pakistanibatsman struck 39 off 25 balls to elevate Comilla to 130-6 in thepenultimate delivery of their innings. – APP/AFP
