Abahani have formed such a good team that the traditional powerhouse clinching the league title cannot be a big surprise for anyone. Neither should it seem strange, considering their strength, that they posted a 127-run victory over Khelaghar Samaj Kallyan Samity in the penultimate Dhaka Premier Super League match at Mirpur yesterday.

But for those who watched the match, it was not a pleasant experience as many smelled something fishy from Khelaghar, which incited some curious comments such as 'this result was leaked the previous day', 'it's not at all a competitive cricket match', 'our cricket has come a long way but frustratingly we cannot get rid of those old corrupt power practices'.

It's not that a team cannot recover from a precarious position and post a good total as Abahani did yesterday by reaching 241 runs from 156 for eight. Similarly, it's not unusual that two tailenders add some valuable runs as Mehedi Hasan Miraz and Taskin Ahmed did with a 49-run ninth-wicket stand.

Still many raised eyebrows because of the manner in which Khelaghar used their bowlers in that situation. Pacer Abdul Halim initiated the collapse by taking four wickets for 10 runs in five overs but surprisingly he was not brought back to the attack after his initial spell. Instead, spinners Anjum Ahmed and Sadikur Rahman were apparently given the responsibility to leak runs.

It was interesting to see as the bowlers continuously bowled short outside the off stump and were punished by the batsmen, but they persisted with a close-in field and despite the regular boundaries there was no thirst on Khelaghar's part to employ a sweeper.

Another most curious aspect was the absence of some regular players. With all this as the backdrop, Khelaghar coach Ruhul Amin was the main attraction for reporters to get clarification about the mysterious issues.

"We lost the match due to injuries. Four to five bowlers suffered injuries and that's why we struggled with our bowling. I requested Abdul Halim to bowl another two overs but he was complaining of groin injury. Ashok Menaria [Khelaghar's Indian recruit who scored 651 runs in 14 matches] also suffered from injury in the last match and that's why we sent him back home," he explained.

Yes, it will be difficult to argue when injuries are given as the reason for players' absence -- even if it is a large number -- but one has to trust his own eyes when it comes to what the bowlers did after having a team reeling at 156 for eight.

This kind of activity not only acts as a slow poison to hinder a country's progress in the game, but also diminishes all the spirit and beauty on offer, including the feats of Mashrafe Bin Mortaza.