• Towhid Hridoy believes LBW decision could have changed the result.
• Mahmudullah was initially given out LBW but DRS overturned it.
• He acknowledged that umpires can make mistakes.

Towhid Hridoy, a middle-order batsman for Bangladesh, expressed his belief that the LBW decision made in the 17th over of the T20 World Cup 2024 match against South Africa could have tipped the scales in their favor.

With four overs remaining, Bangladesh required 27 runs, and Mahmudullah was at the crease against South Africa’s Ottneil Baartman. The second ball of the over hit Mahmudullah’s pad and went for a four.

The umpire ruled in favor of the Proteas with an LBW decision, but the Decision Review System (DRS) reversed it. The leg-bye four was not awarded as the ball was deemed dead according to the match rules.

Bangladesh lost the match by a narrow margin of four runs. Hridoy, who scored 37 off 34 balls, suggested that the decision could have altered the match’s result.

“To be honest that was not a good call for us in such a tight match. In my point of view, the umpire gave the out but it was pretty hard on us. Those four runs could have changed the match scenario. But I don’t have to say anything about that,” Hridoy commented during the press conference about the incident.

When asked if the laws should be amended to allow teams to claim such runs, he responded that this was beyond his control and that umpires, being human, can err.

“The laws are not in my hands. In that time those four runs were really important. Umpires can make a call and they are human too and can make mistakes,” he further added.

“They also didn’t give wides which were wides on a few occasions. In this kind of a venue where low-scoring matches are taking place, one or two runs are a big thing. I think those four runs or two wides are close calls and I was given out on umpire’s call and there are room for improvements.”

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