Tshepo Ntuli got into a scuffle with Ripon Mondol during a four-day match between Bangladesh Emerging Team and South Africa Emerging Team in Dhaka on Wednesday.
The match officials however are yet to take any immediate action as the protocol requires the on-field umpires to submit an official report before any sanctions can be announced.
The incident occurred after Ripon struck Ntuli for a straight six. As he walked over to his batting partner Mehidy Hasan, Ripon appeared to exchange glances with Ntuli, who then charged towards him.
The two players first shoved each other before Ntuli pulled Ripon’s helmet. Umpire Kamruzzaman tried to intervene but Ntuli tugged at the helmet again, before the umpire managed to separate them.
On-looking South Africa Emerging players didn’t stop Ntuli, with a couple of them also appearing to charge toward Ripon, who had by then removed his helmet. The scuffle drew sharp reactions from the TV commentators.
“This is extreme, this is unacceptable. Normally we see verbal altercations in a cricket field but we don’t often see a scuffle. Ntuli struck Ripon’s helmet at one point,” Nabil Kaiser, one of the on-air commentators, said.
Three balls after the incident, Ntuli threw the ball back at Ripon after the batter had defended it back to the bowler. Ripon managed to fend off the throw just in time.
ESPNcricinfo has learned that the match referee will submit reports of the incident to both the BCB and CSA, who are expected to take action, especially as this is the final game of the tour.
Tensions had already flared between the two sides during the one-day leg of the tour in Rajshahi. Andile Simelane and Jishan Alam were both suspended following incidents in the second one-day match, causing them to miss the third game.
The ongoing four-day match is the second and final game of the tour for the South Africa Emerging side. They lost the one-day series 2-1, while the first four-day match in Chattogram ended in a draw.
(ESPN Cricinfo)
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