Bangladesh captain Mehidy Hasan Miraz was taken to hospital following the second ODI against Australia at Mirpur’s Sher-e-Bangla National Stadium on 11 June, after being struck on the helmet by a short-pitched delivery from Nathan Ellis during a tense run chase.
Miraz was absent from the post-match presentation ceremony, with vice-captain Najmul Hossain Shanto standing in as the team’s representative. Shortly after, the Bangladesh captain was seen being helped into an ambulance by a member of the support staff.
The incident occurred with Bangladesh needing 24 runs to win when Ellis’s short ball struck Miraz flush on the helmet. The blow was severe enough to prompt on-field medical attention, and a stretcher was briefly brought out to carry him off. However, Miraz refused to leave the field. After recovering his composure, he resumed his innings and, in the very next over, struck a six to seal the match after Towhid Hridoy had already hit a six and a four. Bangladesh claimed a series victory over Australia for the first time in their history.
Bangladesh team physio Bayezidul Islam Khan confirmed that Miraz would be kept under observation in hospital for 24 hours as a precautionary measure following the concussion.
Taskin Ahmed, speaking at the post-match press conference, was full of praise for the captain’s resolve. “I went to see him in the dressing room and he is a bit better now. He has a slight headache but he will be fine. He did a brilliant job under pressure. Even after being hit on the head, he thought that if he had walked off at that point, a new batsman coming in could have made things even harder. But Hridoy and Miraz finished it off really well in the end.”
With the series already secured, Bangladesh will now look to complete a whitewash when they face Australia in the third and final ODI on Sunday.
