It was a historical day yesterday in Afghanistan cricket as the team qualified for the T20 World Cup knockout stage for the first time in history. They thumped both Australia and Bangladesh in the group stages and proclaimed that they are a major force to be reckoned with in world cricket.
Afghanistan’s qualification came when they surpassed Bangladesh in a close thriller yesterday by 8 runs. This put them second on the table, with India leading the chart and winning all the matches.
Though their win was historic, it had a moment of drama that flooded the internet post-match.
What Happened?
Batting first, Afghanistan put forward a vulnerable total of 115 runs. During the chase, in the 12th over, the rain was drizzling, and Afghanistan was ahead by just 2 runs as per the DLS method. A boundary in the upcoming delivery would have won Bangladesh the game if the rain stopped the match.
The things that happened on the pitch were unseen in cricket. The Afghanistan coach urged players to slow down to take advantage of the DLS method. Gulbadin Naib took the advice to the next level by falling on the pitch and allegedly acting as if he had a hamstring injury. Neither he was hit by a ball nor did it happen while he was fielding. He was just standing there. Maybe he watches a lot of football (players acting injured to waste time is common in football).
The umpires had to stop the match to call the medical team. Naib went off the pitch but returned in 20 minutes, bowled an over, and took a wicket as if nothing had happened to him. He was also seen sprinting in joy after Afghanistan’s victory.
Ashwin Backs Gulbadin Naib Despite Criticisms
Former cricketers and netizens didn’t take it well and criticized the player online. Indian player R. Ashwin, who is so famous for his funny comments on social media, responded to the situation in his usual way. Ashwin hilariously wrote that the Afghanistan player should have been given the red card (red cards or yellow cards are given in football to players who behave inappropriately on the pitch).
“Red card for Gulbadin Naib.”
R Ashwin
The Afghan player responded in a similar way.
“Kabi Khusi kabi ghum main huta hai hamstring.”
Gulbadin Naib replying to R. Ashwin
Ashwin later backed Naib, saying that the latter was playing for his country and trying to win the match. Ashwin sees nothing wrong with that.
“He fell to the ground, and everyone said that he should be punished. What the hell? He is playing for his country and trying to win a World Cup.”
“The players are playing for each other. They want to win the tournament. Don’t Indian players play for one another? At this stage, Afghanistan is playing for one another like I have never seen anything like this.”
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