In a historic day for Afghanistan cricket, Rashid Khan’s men defeated Bangladesh on Monday evening in Kingstown to secure a spot in the T20 World Cup semi-final for the very first time. However, the celebrations were briefly overshadowed by a controversial moment involving all-rounder Gulbadin Naib.
Gulbadin Naib’s apparent bout of cramp against Bangladesh
Naib dramatically fell to the ground clutching his thigh just as Bangladesh batter Litton Das was looking dangerous. The incident occurred after Afghanistan head coach Jonathan Trott signalled for a slowdown in play. But to the surprise of many, Naib was back on the field just minutes later and even managed to dismiss key batter Tanzim Hasan. This quick recovery sparked debate on social media, with fans and experts of the game questioning the legitimacy of Naib’s discomfort.
Rashid Khan’s reaction on cheating accusations
Despite the controversy, Afghan captain Rashid Khan downplayed the incident. He confirmed that Naib had experienced cramps but insisted it didn’t significantly impact the game. Rashid emphasized that Afghanistan lost no overs due to the incident and the rain break that followed shortly after.
This is Unacceptable ❌
This is cheating from Afghanistan ❌Bangladesh scored 81 Runs before the rain and they were only 2 Runs behind par score and Gulbadin Naib do this to avoid Bangladesh victory on DLS
Once a cheater always a Cheater pic.twitter.com/oEnVPlcFCP
— ٰImran Siddique (@imransiddique89) June 25, 2024
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“Well, he had some cramp, I don’t know what happened to him and I don’t know what’s going on in social media but that doesn’t matter – it’s just the end field injury which comes and then we haven’t lost any overs, the rain came and we just went off, it’s not something like brought a massive difference in the game,” Rashid said in the post-match interview.
“We came back on field after five minutes and there was no massive difference. For me, it’s just like a small injury comes in, then you have to take some time.”
Looking beyond the controversy, Rashid ecstatic about Afghanistan’s historic achievement. He believed reaching the semi-finals, following impressive victories over New Zealand and Australia, will be a major inspiration for Afghan youth, especially considering the nation’s struggles.
“The semi-final is going to be a massive inspiration for the youngsters back home,” remarked. He highlighted the significance of this achievement, especially compared to their previous performances.
“We haven’t done this at the senior level before. Even the Super Eight was a first for us,” the Afghanistan skipper added.
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