Mohammedan Sporting Club's captain Towhid Hridoy was recently handed a two-match ban but returned to the field today in his side's Dhaka Premier League (DPL) match against Agrani Bank Cricket Club, with multiple stakeholder providing various explanations on how it was allowed.

On April 12, Hridoy got into a heated exchange with on-field umpires after an unfavourable decision and after the match was fined and handed a one-match ban. Later than the fine was waivered and instead he was handed four demerit points and the one-match ban remain unchanged.

But after the match, Hridoy criticised the umpires in the media, for which he was handed a Tk 80,000 fine and three more demerit points, taking his total to seven, which should result in a two-match suspension.

Due to the ban, he was supposed to miss out from the first two matches of the Super League phase. However, even though he did not take part against Legends of Rupganj, he captained his side against Agrani today.

The Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) as of yet has provided no clear explanation for it, meanwhile, others have floated contradicting explanations.

"We appealed on the decision and they responded and reduced the sentence by a game. We got the letter from CCDM that the ban had been reduced," Mohammedan official Sajjad Ahmed informed.

However, neither CCDM nor Mohammedan agreed to show the letter in question that was handed by CCDM to Mohammedan.

"I can't say anything regarding this. If the sentence was reduced from high level in the board, that's up to them," Niamur, who was also match referee of the said game, told The Daily Star.

Another technical committee member Enamul Haque Moni was also unsure how the suspension was reduced, saying he heard that an appeal to reduce the suspension was made by Mohammedan but that letter has not yet reached the committee.

"He [Hridoy] told the technical committee that he was sorry for the discretions but already the match referee had reduced his sentence [fine reduced]. They had sent a letter to reduce the suspension but I don't have it. I don't know how he still played," Moni told this newspaper.

Umpires committee, however, provided a completely different explanation, saying that the rule related to suspension in congruence with handed demerit points has been revised.

"We sent a memo yesterday to CCDM in this regard that the sanction table has been revised. There was a meeting of the match referees which is done during the mid-point of the tournament for reviewing purposes. The rule of seven demerit points equating to two-match suspension has been changed. That's why he could play [today]," an umpires' committee official informed.

Meanwhile, umpires committee chairman Iftekhar Ahmed Mithu informed that the second sentence relating to the three demerit points handed is 'still under process and has not been completed' and the player can play until the process is complete.