BD accuse Kohli of ‘fake fielding’ in World Cup loss

DHAKA: Bangladesh have blamed “fake fielding” by India’s Virat Kohli for their nailbiting Twenty20 World Cup loss and will raise it with cricket’s governing body, an official told AFP on Thursday.

India won by five runs in the rain-hit Adelaide clash on Wednesday that went to the last ball, all but destroying Bangladesh’s hopes of reaching the semi-finals for the first time.

Afterwards, vice-captain Nurul Hasan alleged that onfield umpires had missed a “fake throw” by Kohli that could have tied the match.

“It could have been a five-run penalty,” he told reporters. “That also could have gone our way, but unfortunately... that didn’t materialise.”

The incident took place in the seventh over of Bangladesh’s innings, moments before rain stopped play, when Liton Das played the ball towards the deep off-side field off Axar Patel.

As India’s Arshdeep Singh threw the ball back, Kohli -- standing at point -- feigned a throw as the ball whistled past him.

Umpires Marais Erasmus and Chris Brown didn’t take action, despite Liton and non-striking batsman Najmul Hossain pointing it out, a Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) official told AFP.

The International Cricket Council is scheduled to hold a board meeting in Melbourne next week during the tournament and Bangladesh will raise the matter “if an opportunity comes”, BCB cricket operations chief Jalal Yunus told AFP.

“We will discuss the issues wherever we get a chance to discuss,” he added. “It’s not a protest because there is no benefit of doing it now.”

Yunus also said Bangladesh’s chances in the match had been stymied by a slippery pitch after the resumption, halting the openers’ momentum after a blazing 21-ball fifty from Liton.