Chopper lands in the middle of training, sending cricketers running for cover

A helicopter landed right in the middle of the MA Aziz Stadium in Chattogram without warning this afternoon just as Minister Group Dhaka cricketers were having their practice session for their upcoming BPL matches.

The sudden landing of the helicopter not only took everyone by surprise but also sent the cricketers, including Mashrafe Bin Mortaza, Tamim Iqbal, Andre Russell, Mohammad Shahzad running to safety and running for cover from dust.

The incident took place at around 1:10pm this afternoon as the Dhaka players were having their training session at the venue.

It has been learnt that the helicopter, which was being used as an air-ambulance, landed to airlift an emergency patient with the permission of the district commissioner and with full knowledge of the district sports association. However, the BPL authority or the Minister Group Dhaka franchise was apparently in the dark over the incident. Furthermore, the chopper landed right where the players were training and not the empty space where it was supposed to land.

The incident created fear and indignation among the cricketers, who were later appeased in consideration of the humanitarian side of the incident.

Chattogram DSA general secretary Shahabuddin Shamim later claimed, "The helicopter was granted permission to land from a humanitarian point of view. We were informed ahead of the incident and we did inform the cricket board and the Dhaka team. The landing was supposed to be in the empty space on the eastern corner but it landed on the western corner, where training was taking place. That is why everyone got scared."