‘What happened post-game was not needed’ – Former India skipper slams Harmanpreet Kaur for on-field antics during 3rd ODI against Bangladesh

India Women’s skipper Harmanpreet Kaur is facing criticism over her unruly behaviour during the 3rd ODI against Bangladesh. After being adjourned out by the on-field umpire, Kaur smashed the stumps in rage and had an aggressive verbal chat with the umpires. India’s skipper didn’t stop there and called the umpires to join the Bangladesh team during the joint photo session.

This led the hosts to refrain from the photoshoot and inflate the issue. Meanwhile, former cricketers and fans are not happy with Harmanpreet’s reaction and are seeking disciplinary action against her. The latest name on the list is former India skipper Diana Edulji, who slammed the Indian skipper for setting the wrong example for her teammates.

Edulji said that the protest was correct, but Harmanpreet crossed the line. Edulji wrote, “Cricketers reacting to a bad umpiring decision, though not ideal, is nothing new. To a certain extent, one can be pardoned since when you get out in a crunch match, sometimes it is difficult to control the emotions.”

“Harmanpreet isn’t the first cricketer to show dissent, and the apex cricket council rightly imposed sanctions on her. I understand wrong decisions were made. We have seen wrong decisions in the past too, not only in women’s cricket but in men’s cricket too,” Edulji wrote in her column in the Indian Express.

“However, what happened post-game was not needed, all the more because Harmanpreet is the Indian captain. She has set a bad example for her teammates. I say that because juniors look up to seniors, and this, over a period of time, can impact the team culture. This makes Harmanpreet’s behaviour all the more unacceptable,” Edulji further added.

“She crossed the limit that day”, says Diana Edulji

The former Indian Cricket Board Member Edulji said that calling umpires for the photo session was disrespectful, and Harmanpreet Kaur crossed the line. She also feels that the Indian skipper set the wrong precedent for her teammates and junior cricketers. “It was deplorable to see Harmanpreet call the umpires to pose with the Bangladesh team, suggesting that they were part of the team and playing for them”, Edulji wrote.

“I am aware that Harman is hot-tempered, and maybe her ugly conduct was because she wasn’t able to score runs. But she crossed the limit that day as she continued to protest during the presentation ceremony,” Edulji further added. Notably, the Apex Cricket Council has acted against the Indian skipper, as they have fined her 75% of match fees for her unruly behaviour. Apart from that, Harmanpreet also earned four demerit points, which means she will be banned from One Test match or two limited-overs games on the next tour.