Afghanistan player's comment on Gulbadin Naib's 'injury' goes viral: could Naib face a fine?

Afghanistan's cricket team made history by defeating Bangladesh to secure a spot in the T20 World Cup 2024 semi-finals for the first time ever. Led by Rashid Khan, the team triumphed in a thrilling match, but the victory was not without controversy. Gulbadin Naib faced accusations of 'faking an injury' during the game.

Controversy surrounds Gulbadin Naib's 'injury'

During the 12th over of Bangladesh's innings, Naib fell to the ground clutching his hamstring just after head coach Jonathan Trott was seen signaling to slow down the game. At that moment, Afghanistan was ahead by 2 runs according to the DLS method, with the game hanging in the balance.

Naib's injury brought physios onto the field, halting the match, which was soon stopped due to rain. However, upon resumption, Naib appeared fit, prompting fans and experts to accuse him of 'cheating' to gain an advantage.

Teammate Naveen-ul-Haq added fuel to the fire by posting a scene from the film 'Welcome' on social media, hinting that Naib's injury might not have been genuine. Many Afghan players commented on the post, with Naib himself writing, "Hey mate I am feeling not well….Hamstring problem."

Rashid Khan commented on the incident, stating, “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,” as reported by cricket.com.au.?

Australian captain Mitchell Marsh found the incident amusing, calling it “one of the funniest things I’ve ever seen on a cricket field,” as per cricket.com.au.

Afghanistan ultimately defeated Bangladesh by 8 runs using the DLS system, a win that also eliminated Australia from the semi-final race. This victory followed Afghanistan's impressive wins over New Zealand and Australia, securing their spot in the last four.

Bangladesh captain Najmul Hossain Shanto admitted they had planned to chase down Afghanistan's modest score of 116 but lost hope after losing key wickets in the middle overs during their Super 8 clash.

Will Gulbadin Naib Face a Fine?

According to the ICC's Code of Conduct, 'time-wasting' is considered a Level 1 or 2 offense under Article 2.10.7. For a Level 1 offense, the maximum punishment includes a 100% match-fee fine and two suspension points. Accumulating four suspension points in a year could lead to a ban for either one Test match or two ODIs or T20Is.

PTI

Moreover, under Article 41.9 of the ICC's playing conditions for T20Is, a five-run penalty can be imposed for time-wasting by a bowler or fielder. However, no such penalty was given in the Afghanistan vs. Bangladesh match.

If umpires believe the time-wasting was deliberate, they may report it under the ICC Code of Conduct. As of now, there has been no indication that the ICC or match officials are investigating Naib. Naib has maintained that he had genuine injury issues, complicating any potential proof of deliberate time-wasting.

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