In one of the most dramatic moments of the 2024 T20 World Cup, Afghanistan’s Gulbadin Naib appeared to fake an injury to delay the game against Bangladesh. This occurred in the 12th over while Bangladesh, chasing Afghanistan‘s 116, was at 81/7 in a rain-interrupted match.
As drizzle resumed unexpectedly, Afghanistan coach Jonathan Trott instructed his team to “slow it down,” suggesting tactics like extra field changes to minimize the number of deliveries.
Following this, Naib, positioned at slips, suddenly grabbed his hamstring and fell, prompting the physio’s attention and causing the umpire to halt play. Commentator Simon Doull expressed his disapproval, stating that such behaviour has no place in cricket.
You can watch the video here:
https://x.com/SportsProd37/status/1805457637489742058
The strategy was understandable for the Afghans. They were only two runs ahead of the DLS par score for Bangladesh at that moment. If the game had been abandoned due to rain, Afghanistan would have advanced to the semifinals.
However, if Afghanistan had bowled another ball and Bangladesh had hit a boundary before the rain stopped play, Bangladesh would have taken the lead.
Even Afghanistan captain Rashid Khan seemed displeased with Naib’s actions. However, the rain intensified, causing the game to be paused. Fortunately for neutral fans, the break was brief, and play resumed soon with only one over lost.
Gulbadin Naib returns after the break to take a wicket
To make it even more remarkable, Naib stayed off the field for a while after play resumed, but then returned looking fully fit. He bowled his first over in the 15th of the innings and took a wicket on his second ball.
Tanzim Hasan Sakib failed to keep his short ball down and was dismissed, prompting commentator Simon Doull to wittily remark, “paper hamstring but a golden arm!”
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