BCB writes to ACB over Afghanistan U-19 captain's extra over in one-dayer
Synopsis
A scoring mix-up and an alleged breach of the 10-over bowling limit have turned a routine U-19 bilateral series into a formal dispute — with the BCB writing to the ACB after Afghanistan's captain Sohail Khan reportedly sent down an 11th over, undetected until it was too late to stop.
Key Takeaways
The Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) has formally written to the Afghanistan Cricket Board (ACB) over an alleged bowling-limit violation.
Afghanistan U-19 captain Sohail Khan reportedly bowled 11 overs in the third one-day match, exceeding the permitted 10-over limit.
The extra over went undetected because the official scorer credited it to Shah Faisal Rahimi rather than to Sohail — a clerical error stemming from a last-moment bowling change.
Bangladesh submitted video footage of the over to match referee Yasir Latifzai as evidence.
The BCB also raised concerns about incorrect LBW and caught-behind umpiring decisions in the same match.
The Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) has formally written to the Afghanistan Cricket Board (ACB) after Afghanistan's Under-19 captain Sohail Khan allegedly bowled an 11th over in a U-19 one-day match against Bangladesh U-19, in what would constitute a clear violation of the one-day format's 10-over-per-bowler limit. The incident reportedly occurred during the third match of the bilateral series on Wednesday, 22 October 2025.
What Bangladesh's Coaching Staff Alleged
Bangladesh U-19 coach Hannan Sarkar confirmed that the team raised the issue with match referee Yasir Latifzai during lengthy post-match discussions. The BCB submitted a captain's report with a special appended note — given that the standard captain's report form has no dedicated space for such irregularities — specifically flagging the extra over.
'We have written about the umpiring decisions in the captain's report, and added a special note, specifically mentioning the eleven overs in question,' Sarkar said. 'Since the standard captain's report form doesn't typically have a dedicated space for such details, an additional note was appended after the list of decisions.'
How the Extra Over Went Undetected
According to Sarkar, the Bangladesh team was monitoring the scorecard in real time via a cricket statistics platform on the team manager's phone, rather than through access to the official scorer. Their own analyst's records flagged that Sohail Khan had already completed his permitted 10 overs before he began an additional over.
'By the time we noticed this, he had already begun another over. As soon as that over concluded, we informed the umpires, though by then, the over had already finished,' Sarkar added. Crucially, the Bangladesh camp also sent video footage of the contested over to the match referee as supporting evidence.
The Scorer's Discrepancy
The confusion appears to have stemmed from a scoring error. A substitute bowler initially approached the crease and handed his cap to the umpire, but then withdrew — at which point Sohail Khan took over and bowled the over himself. The official scorer, however, reportedly credited the over to Shah Faisal Rahimi, the player who had briefly stepped forward.
'They mistakenly credited one over to a different player, someone who hadn't actually bowled at all. What happened was that this player had handed his cap to the umpire, but then took it back, and the captain proceeded to bowl instead. The scorer failed to notice this and ended up attributing that over to the other player,' Sarkar explained. Bangladesh maintains that Sohail bowled the over, which would make it his 11th — one more than permitted.
Umpiring Concerns Also Raised
Beyond the bowling-limit issue, the BCB reportedly raised additional grievances over umpiring decisions in the match, including what it considered incorrect LBW and caught-behind rulings. A BCB official said the letter was not an escalation but a cautionary communication. 'We have written to them to simply make them aware of what was happening in the bilateral series. We cautioned them to be more careful next time,' the official said.
What Happens Next
It remains to be seen whether the ACB or the series' governing officials will take any formal action in response to the BCB's complaint. Notably, the series has no confirmed neutral umpires panel overseeing it at the highest oversight level, which may limit the avenues for redress. The incident adds to a broader pattern of administrative and officiating disputes at the youth cricket level in South Asia, where oversight mechanisms are often thinner than at the senior international stage.
Point of View
This is less a scandal and more a governance failure — youth cricket series in South Asia routinely operate with thin officiating infrastructure, and the fact that Bangladesh had to track overs on a phone app rather than through official channels says something about the oversight arrangements. The BCB's decision to write formally is measured, but without a neutral adjudicating body empowered to act, the letter risks being little more than a paper trail. The real question is whether the ACB and series organisers will treat this as a corrective moment or let it dissolve into a bilateral handshake, as such complaints often do at age-group level.
NationPress
24 Oct 2026
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the BCB's complaint against the ACB in the U-19 series?
The BCB has written to the ACB alleging that Afghanistan's U-19 captain Sohail Khan bowled 11 overs in the third one-day match against Bangladesh U-19 — one more than the 10-over limit permitted in one-day cricket. The BCB submitted a special captain's note and video footage to match referee Yasir Latifzai to support the claim.
Why did no one stop Sohail Khan from bowling the 11th over?
Bangladesh coach Hannan Sarkar explained that the team was tracking overs on a third-party scorecard on the team manager's phone rather than through the official scorer. By the time their analyst flagged the violation, the over had already been completed. The umpires were informed only after it finished.
How did the official scorer miss the extra over?
A scoring error arose when a substitute bowler initially approached the crease and handed his cap to the umpire before withdrawing. The official scorer credited that over to Shah Faisal Rahimi, the player who had briefly stepped forward, rather than to Sohail Khan, who actually bowled it — making Sohail's tally appear as 10 overs in the official record.
What other concerns did Bangladesh raise in the series?
In addition to the bowling-limit issue, the BCB flagged incorrect umpiring decisions — specifically an LBW and a caught-behind call — that it considered erroneous. A BCB official said the letter was intended as a caution rather than a formal escalation, urging officials to be more careful in future matches.
What action could be taken over the alleged extra over?
It is not yet clear whether the ACB or series officials will take formal action following the BCB's letter. The outcome will depend on how the governing body reviews the footage and scoring records submitted by Bangladesh. Youth-level bilateral series typically lack the independent oversight mechanisms present at senior international level.
