WATCH: From Ravichandran Ashwin’s Mankad in IPL to Salman Ali Agha Run-Out vs Bangladesh - 5 Most Controversial ‘Unsportsmanlike’ Moments in Cricket

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The “Spirit of Cricket” is supposed to be the heart of the game, but it splits opinions like few other things in sports. Cricket’s rules are clear enough, but those ethical grey areas spark arguments and ignite debate all over the world. Have a look at the March 2026 drama with Salman Ali Agha and Mehidy Hasan Miraz. It pushed sportsmanship into the spotlight again, much like the uproar after Ravichandran Ashwin’s Mankad. When the urge to win trumps that old-school courtesy, fans start to wonder if cricket is losing something essential. Let’s look back at five moments that rocked the cricketing world.

1. Salman Ali Agha’s Helping Hand Run-out (2026)

In the second ODI between Pakistan and Bangladesh on March 13, 2026, something happened that really shook things up. Salman Ali Agha got out in a way no one saw coming. After a ball struck his pads and rolled close by, he stepped forward, planning to pick it up and give it back to the bowler, Mehidy Hasan Miraz. But instead of just taking the ball, Miraz quickly grabbed it and broke the stumps while Agha was outside his crease.

The third umpire reviewed the play and ruled him out since the ball wasn’t actually dead. Even though it was within the rules, almost everyone called it out for being completely unsporting.

2. Ravichandran Ashwin’s Mankad of Jos Buttler (2019)

In IPL 2019, Ravichandran Ashwin set off a storm when he ran out Jos Buttler at the non-striker’s end. Buttler had left his crease a little early, and Ashwin, cool as ever, stopped mid-delivery and knocked off the bails.

The laws said he could do it. Some people cheered him on for playing by the book, but a bunch of cricket legends called it unsportsmanlike. Ashwin didn’t budge. He insisted he was just sticking to the rules and making sure things stayed fair for the bowlers, too. The whole thing had everyone arguing about where the line really is with the “Spirit of Cricket.”

3. Shakib Al Hasan’s “Timed Out” Appeal (2023)

The 2023 World Cup marked a turning point when Shakib Al Hasan appealed for a “Timed Out” dismissal against Angelo Mathews. Mathews got to the crease, but his helmet strap snapped, so he asked for a replacement. That slowed things down.

Even though it was obviously an equipment problem, Shakib wouldn’t take back the appeal, so Mathews was out in a way nobody had seen before. Critics blasted the decision, calling it one of the worst examples of sportsmanship international cricket had seen.

4. Alex Carey’s Stumping of Jonny Bairstow (2023)

During the 2023 Ashes, Alex Carey stumped Jonny Bairstow at Lord’s when Bairstow stepped out of his crease thinking play had stopped, but Carey wasn’t waiting. He threw the ball right away, catching Bairstow off guard, and the Australians didn’t waste a second celebrating. The crowd erupted; people were furious. Suddenly, everyone was debating the “Spirit of Cricket.” Even the Prime Ministers got involved. Australia stuck to their guns, saying you’ve got to stay in your crease. England fans saw the whole thing as sly and not really in the spirit of the game.

5. Deepti Sharma’s Lord’s Mankad (2022)

An extremely tense ending at Lord’s in the year 2022 saw Deepti Sharma sealing the game by running out England’s Charlie Dean at the non-striker’s end. England were only 17 runs short of making an amazing comeback when Deepti saw Dean stepping too far away and removing the bails. The wicket resulted in a historic 3-0 series win for India and a winning goodbye for Jhulan Goswami.

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