Angry batsman accidentally kills a 14-year-old in Bangladesh

What’s the story?

A 14-year-old cricketer in Bangladesh, Faisal Hossain, died after he was hit by a stump thrown by an angry batsman during a friendly game between two neighbourhood teams.

"The batsman was furious when he saw that he was stumped or bowled out. He grabbed a stump and threw it in the air. The stump hit part of the neck and head of the fielder (Faisal Hossain), who was fielding close to the wicket. He collapsed on the ground in pain and was declared dead after he was taken to a hospital,” assistant police commissioner Jahangir Alam told AFP.

The heart of the matter

According to the local police, the batsman was furious after getting out and he threw the stumps in the air to vent out the frustration. Unfortunately, the stump went on to hit the fielder, who was fielding close to the batsman. Immediately, the fielder collapsed on the ground in pain and was rushed to a nearby hospital, where was declared dead.

Even though it was not intentional, Jahangir Alam said that the batsman has been detained for his actions and will be prosecuted for causing an unintentional death. This is not the first time such incidents are taking place in Bangladesh, a country where the sport is taken seriously even at the village level.

Parallels from History

In May 2016, a batsman allegedly beat a 16-year-old cricketer to death in Dhaka after the teenager taunted the umpire over a no-ball delivery. The deceased cricketer, who was keeping wickets in that match, felt that the umpire might have favoured the batsman again by declaring a no-ball and allowed him to remain at the crease after he made the same ruling off the previous ball. It enraged the batsman as he picked up a stump and hit the back of the keeper’s head. The gloveman collapsed on the field and was immediately rushed to a nearby clinic, where he was declared brought dead.

Sportskeeda’s take

Cricket is supposed to be a gentlemen's game, but some on-field incidents such as these tarnish the image of the sport. Although it is not intentional, there was no need for the batsman to pluck the stump and throw in the air to vent out his frustration after getting out.