‘Don’t want such proposal’, Shakib jokes as pitch invasion puts security in question

A fan bends down on one knee after invading the pitch, shows Shakib Al Hasan a flower, and asks "Will you take it?"

The scene during Bangladesh’s one-off Test match against Afghanistan in Chattogram’s Zahur Ahmed Chowdhury Stadium on Friday resembles those when men propose women, Shakib reminded and joked at a press conference after stumps on Day 2.

He added such incidents that call security in the country’s stadiums into question are “unacceptable by all means”.

Shakib was bowling his first over when the man somehow got into the field and ran to him.

After saluting Shakib, the fan greeted him with flower.

“I wondered if he was proposing me,” the all-rounder quipped at the press conference.

Before the reporters stopped laughing, Shakib added: “But I don’t want anything like this to happen. The fewer such incidents take place on the field, the better it is (for the game). Actually it’s best if such things do not happen at all.”

Shakib had to hug the fan to keep the situation under control as security personnel were yet to get near them.

After a fan invaded the pitch in Dhaka’s Mirpur Sher-e-Bangla National Cricket Stadium to hug Mashrafe Bin Mortaza in 2016, the authorities strengthened security in stadiums, raising the number of security personnel and heightening fences.

But lax security gradually took over the stadiums again. Fans of Mushfiqur Rahim invaded the pitch twice in as many days during the Test series against Zimbabwe last year.

In Chattogram, the pitch invader has been identified as Faisal Ahmed, 22, from Enayet Bazar of the port city.

He was handed to police. Bangladesh Cricket Board Security Supervisor Arefin Hossain Imran started a case against Faisal at Pahartali Police Station, OC Moinur Rahman said.

The charges against Faisal include trespassing and creating panic.

RASHID MAKES IT AFGHANISTAN’S DAY

The pitch invasion aside, it was not a day for Shakib at all as his rival for the place of the world’s top all-rounder, Rashid Khan, kept Afghanistan on top of the match on Day 2 with a 4-wicket haul after a fifty.

The visitors started the day at 271 for 5 after Rahmat Shah’s brilliant century on the opening day.

Asghar Afghan was out on 92 after ending Day 1 on 88.

Taijul Islam, who became the fastest Bangladeshi to 100 Test wickets on Thursday, finished with 4 wickets.

Shakib took two, but the Afghans had already reached 345, led by Rashid, the youngest Test captain of all time. 

Bangladesh batsmen struggled throughout the innings after losing opener Shadman Islam in the first over.

Mominul Haque was the only batsman who could manage a half-century.

Taijul (14 off 55) came to the rescue again, and supported Mosaddek Hossain (44 off 74) in the 48-run ninth-wicket stand, the highest of the innings.

At stumps, the Tigers were 194 for 8.

Mosaddek and Taijul will resume on the third day trailing Afghanistan by 148 runs.