The former captain of Afghanistan, Gulbadin Naib, found himself in serious trouble during the second of the recent three-match T20I series against Zimbabwe at the Harare Sports Club. The veteran all-rounder was fined 15% of his match fee for breaching the Level 1 ICC Code of Conduct.
Naib has been penalized for violating Article 2.8 of the ICC Code of Conduct for the Players and Players Support Personnel, which addresses ‘showing dissent at an umpire’s decision during an international fixture.’
Afghanistan came into the battle on the back of their four-wicket defeat in the opening clash of the series, where they failed to defend their struggling total of 144 runs as the home side chased in down on the very last ball. Gulbadin wasn’t part of the contest but was included back into the side for the second encounter.
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The incident of the Afghanistan player occurred during the 11th over of Zimbabwe’s innings when a leg before the stumps decision was turned up by the on-field umpire against Tashinga Musekiwa off the bowling of captain and premier leg-spinner Rashid Khan.
Afghanistan all-rounder Gulbadin Naib fined for ICC Code of Conduct Breach
Naib displayed dissent by bowing in a mock player and requesting to go upstairs, despite knowing that the decision review system wasn’t available in the encounter. Along with his 15% fine of the match fee, the right-handed player was given a demerit point in the disciplinary record.
That was the first offense for the Afghanistan pro in the 24 months. Three more could see him banned from two ODIs, T20Is, or a Test match, whichever comes first. Gulbadin admitted to the offense and accepted the sanction proposed to him by the match referee, Andy Pycroft. That has resulted in no need for a formal hearing for the batter.
On what was expected to be a slow surface in the second innings, the tourists decided to bat first and posted 153/6 in their allotted 20 overs. But a poor and struggling start saw them losing three wickets inside the powerplay before Darwish Rasooli shouldered the responsibility of the bowling department with a 58-run knock in 42 balls.
Gulbadin Naib creamed an unbeaten knock of 26 runs in 21 balls with the help of three boundaries. He wasn’t needed for rolling the arms in the defense, as the home side kept on losing wickets consistently in the chase.
Apart from their captain, Sikandar Raza, no one stood out with the stick in hand. Naveen-ul-Haq broke the back of the home side’s batting with a three-wicket haul, while Rashid picked up 3/20 in his four overs. That was a comfortable victory of 50 runs for the Afghanistan side.
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The third game of the series was a sharp and quick turnaround 24 hours later. Batting from the home side wasn’t up to the mark this time around, with them bundling out for just 127 in 19.5 overs. The visiting captain grilled four wickets in the bag, while Naveen, Fazalhaq Farooqi, and Azmatullah Omarzai shared two wickets each between them.
The chase wasn’t as simple for the Afghanistan side, who found themselves four down in seven overs. Naib grabbed run-a-ball 22 runs, while Omarzai collected 34 runs in the innings. It was Mohammad Nabi who smashed an unbeaten 24-run knock in 18 balls with the help of three boundaries as they chased it down with three wickets in hand.
Afghanistan will now start preparing for the three-match ODI series which will begin on December 17 in Harare.