Cricket, long cherished as the gentleman’s sport, witnessed an ugly episode on Wednesday during the ongoing four-day second unofficial Test between the Bangladesh Emerging side and the South Africa Emerging team.
The altercation unfolded on day two of the match at the Sher-e-Bangla National Stadium in Mirpur.
South Africa Emerging’s Tshepo Ntuli and Bangladesh Emerging’s Ripon Mondol got involved in a physical confrontation.
The flashpoint occurred after Ripon struck Ntuli for a six. While Ripon was walking over to his batting partner Mehidy Hasan, an exchange of glances between him and Ntuli appeared to ignite tempers.
Ntuli charged at Ripon, and the two exchanged shoves. In a startling move, Ntuli yanked off Ripon’s helmet. Umpire Kamruzzaman stepped in to break up the scuffle, but before he could restore control, Ntuli grabbed the helmet once again.
Several South African players present on the field made no attempt to de-escalate the two. On the contrary, a couple of them charged towards Ripon, who by then had removed his helmet.
The tension lingered even after play resumed. Three deliveries later, Ripon defended a delivery from Ntuli, only for the Proteas fielders to hurl the ball back at him. Ripon managed to fend it off, avoiding further injury.
Match officials did not take any immediate action. According to ESPN Cricinfo, protocol dictates that on-field umpires must submit an official report before announcing sanctions.
The Test match, which commenced on May 27, saw the hosts electing to bat first. Bangladesh ended day one at 242-7, led by Iftakhar Hossain Ifti’s 109 and Moin Khan’s 91. Day two began with a spirited lower-order rally, including partnerships of 45 and 67 runs for the eighth and ninth wickets.
The altercation between Ntuli and Ripon has evoked memories of one of Indian cricket’s most infamous on-field incidents — the Harbhajan-Sreesanth slapgate during the inaugural season of the Indian Premier League in 2008.
Kings XI Punjab had just defeated Mumbai Indians when a stunned crowd witnessed Mumbai captain Harbhajan Singh slapping his Indian teammate Sreesanth during the customary post-match handshakes.
Sreesanth was left in tears as his teammates tried to console him, while Harbhajan was handed an 11-match ban for his unsportsmanlike conduct.
The first Test between Australia and Pakistan in Perth in the 1981-82 series, culminating in one of cricket’s most infamous clashes. After Australia were skittled for 180 on a tricky pitch and Pakistan crumbled for just 62 in reply, the hosts set Pakistan an improbable 543 to win.
With Pakistan reeling at 27 for 2, Javed Miandad walked in to face a fired-up Dennis Lillee, who, with the crowd roaring, tested Miandad with his aggressive spells. Tempers flared: Miandad collided with Lillee while completing a run, prompting an ugly exchange. Witnesses suggested Lillee deliberately obstructed Miandad, who responded angrily.
Lillee alleged Miandad hit him with his bat, while Miandad insisted Lillee kicked him. The confrontation escalated when Miandad raised his bat and umpire Tony Crafter had to step in. Captain Greg Chappell intervened as Lillee walked away—only to return and be restrained again—leaving behind an enduring image of cricket’s rawest edge.
Much like these episodes, the incident in Dhaka has thrown a harsh spotlight on player behaviour in a sport that prides itself on dignity, respect, and composure — values that went missing on Wednesday.
