Controversy Erupts at Global T20 Canada as Bangla Tigers Forfeit Eliminator Against Toronto Nationals
A dramatic turn of events unfolded at the Global T20 Canada tournament on Friday, as Bangla Tigers Mississauga were eliminated from the competition after they forfeited their eliminator match against Toronto Nationals.
The incident began when persistent rain in Brampton, Ontario delayed the start of the eliminator. With time running out, the match officials decided that only a Super Over could be played to determine the winner. However, Bangla Tigers captain Shakib Al Hasan refused to participate in the toss for the Super Over, leading to the team’s forfeiture of the match.
“We should have had the opportunity to play at least a five or ten-over-a-side game to decide the winner, instead of just a one-over shootout,” argued Zafir Yasin, the Bangla Tigers owner.
GLT20 CEO Joy Bhattacharjya, however, explained that the decision was in line with the tournament’s playing regulations, which had been distributed to the teams earlier. He stated that the Super Over provision was not a last-minute addition, but had been part of the regulations from the start.
Bhattacharjya also defended the decision to shorten the boundaries before the match to ensure a result, stating that this was done to remove any “dangerous areas of play” from consideration. The Bangla Tigers management also expressed concerns about the league’s integrity, alleging that the organizers had sought assistance from the Toronto Nationals owners to procure additional covers on the day of the playoffs. Bhattacharjya dismissed these claims, saying that the match officials were the sole decision-makers and that any help in obtaining covers was done to ensure play could take place despite the challenging weather conditions.
In the end, Toronto Nationals were awarded the match, and they went on to face Brampton Wolves in Qualifier 2, eventually earning a spot in the final against Montreal Tigers.
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