Afghanistan‘s all-rounder Gulbadin Naib found himself at the centre of controversy during Afghanistan’s thrilling eight-run victory over Bangladesh at the Arnos Vale Ground in St Vincent. The controversy stemmed from Naib’s ‘supposed’ hamstring injury while fielding in the slips, an incident that drew significant criticism and speculation.
The controversial incident during Afghanistan vs Bangladesh game
The contentious moment occurred just before a rain break with Bangladesh at 81 for 7, trailing the DLS score by two runs. With Afghanistan taking a series of crucial wickets, including key contributions from Rashid Khan, Bangladesh were already on the backfoot.
As it began to drizzle, Afghanistan’s coach Jonathan Trott was seen signalling to his players to slow the game down. Shortly after, Naib fell to the ground, clutching his hamstring, much to the apparent displeasure of skipper Rashid, who repeatedly inquired about the sudden injury. Remarkably, Naib returned to bowl shortly afterward, raising eyebrows and leading to speculation and trolling about the authenticity of his injury. Commentators and netizens were particularly vocal about Naib’s quick recovery.
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Ravichandran Ashwin’s take and Gulbadin Naib’s reply
Indian veteran off-spinner Ravichandran Ashwin humorously weighed in on the incident, suggesting a ‘red card’ for Gulbadin. In football, a red card signifies a player being sent off the field.
Red card for Gulbadin Naib😂😂😂
— Ashwin 🇮🇳 (@ashwinravi99) June 25, 2024
Later on after the match, Naib responded to Ashwin’s comment by re-tweeting it and replied it in a light-hearted manner, stating, “Sometimes the hamstring hurts in happiness and sometimes it does in sadness.”
Kabi khushi kabi gham main huta hai 🤣🤣
Hamstring 🤣 https://t.co/48jV4ESpuS— Gulbadin Naib (@GbNaib) June 25, 2024