17/08/2026
Official Statement:
Assalamu Alaikum,
Our Duronto Kassel cricket team, though still a relatively new team on the Bangladeshi cricket scene in Germany, has worked hard from the start to prove our ability and worth. As a part of our progress, we have won two championship and two runner-up titles in several major tournaments over the last two seasons.
We recently took part in the Am Main Cup 2026, organized by SV Tigers am Main Frankfurt e.V, held in Frankfurt. In the first four matches of the group stage, we won two and lost two. Our fifth match was extremely important. The tournament followed a league format where the top two teams would advance to the final. So, a win in this match would have given either team a strong chance of reaching the final. This made the fixture equally important for both sides, not just for us.
Before going further, we want to congratulate the champion team The Elitists and the runners-up team Düsseldorf Rampagers of Am Main Cup 2026 on their performance throughout the tournament.
Unfortunately, in our fifth match, our opening batsman was given out on a highly questionable caught-behind decision. The main umpire appeared uncertain whether the ball had touched the bat or had instead struck the ground just underneath it. The leg umpire who was in a better position to judge the situation, was not convinced that the ball had touched the bat and considered it a clear “bump ball.” Despite this disagreement, the main umpire upheld the dismissal without further consultation. In our view, such a situation calls for caution and clarification rather than a firm decision. Cricket also has a long-standing convention, reflected in MCC Law 31.6, that genuine doubt over a dismissal should be resolved in favour of the batsman. While not a strictly enforced rule, this principle reflects the importance of fairness, particularly because a dismissal ends a batsman’s innings. We believe this incident was precisely the kind of uncertain situation in which this convention should have applied but unfortunately, it did not.
We want to be clear that the opposing team did nothing wrong here. Appealing for a wicket is a normal and legitimate part of the game and it was entirely within their right to do so. The responsibility for a wrong or inconsistent decision lies solely with the umpires.
We faced several other questionable umpiring decisions earlier in the tournament as well. Out of respect for the spirit of the game and for our opponents at the time, we accepted those calls and continued playing without protest. However, encountering a similarly disputed decision in effectively a "do-or-die" match for both teams made the situation very difficult to accept.
Given this situation, the team management and players discussed the matter together and were forced to make the decision to concede a walkover and leave the field. This was not meant to disrespect anyone. It was a decision made to stand firmly by our position.
With full respect for the organizers, we want to say that a tournament organized by a well-known organization like SV Tigers Am Main deserves more transparency, fairness and accountability in its umpiring and decision-making, as well as stronger organization overall.
We hope this statement is seen not as a personal complaint or attack but as constructive criticism and honest feedback. We hope that in the future, organizers will ensure more careful and professional umpiring and better overall management.
At Duronto Kassel, we celebrate victory, accept defeat with humility and respect our opponents. Above all, we believe that every game should be played with fairness, transparency and neutrality.
Carrying our love for cricket, mutual respect and the spirit of sportsmanship, we look forward to moving ahead together. We would also like thank our supporters and well wishers. We hope to come back with stronger performance next season.
Regards,
Duronto Kassel
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