Former Pakistan cricketer and Bangladesh spin bowling coach Mushtaq Ahmed says he personally stepped in to resolve the tension between Mohammad Rizwan and Bangladesh’s Litton Das.
“Today on the breakfast table I talked to Rizwan and Litton Das and settled the matter between them. They have no issue with each other,” Mushtaq said during a recent TV programme.
He also defended Rizwan’s conduct on the field, suggesting that his behaviour is more calculated than it appears. “Rizwan can be frustrating at times, but I think he does it deliberately as a strategy. He knowingly does certain things to frustrate opponents, so they come out of their bubble, move away from their game plan, and lose focus,” he observed.
Mushtaq added that he also cautioned Litton about keeping things within limits. “I told him not to cross the line or make comments that go below the belt,” he stressed, while noting that such exchanges are not unusual in Test cricket.
“This is also part of the beauty of Test cricket, frustrating each other, teasing each other, and trying to distract the opponent from their plan and mindset. Tactically, it can be a smart move. The Australians do this a lot,” he pointed out.
The intervention follows a heated on-field exchange during the second Test at Sylhet International Cricket Stadium, where Litton and Bangladesh captain Najmul Hossain Shanto both had verbal run-ins with Rizwan after he reached his half-century on day four. Litton confronted Rizwan during a delay in play, asking “Yeh kya kar rahe ho aap?” to which Rizwan responded by pointing toward a fielding position.
Litton shot back, “Udhar kya dekh rahe ho? Idhar dekho.” The exchange sharpened further, with Litton remarking the moment Rizwan completed his fifty, “50 ho gayi, ab acting shuru ho jayegi.” Shanto then joined in, telling Rizwan, “Overacting ke hum 50 rupees kaatenge.”
The friction between the two sides had started earlier in the series. During the first Test, a video of Litton making insulting remarks about Rizwan’s standing in Pakistan went viral on social media, drawing widespread attention and controversy.
