"Oscar for Gulbadin for this acting" - Fans react to Gulbadin Naib seemingly falling to slow down play during AFG vs BAN Super 8 match
Fans have reacted hilariously to Afghanistan all-rounder Gulbadin Naib falling down to seemingly slow down the match proceedings against Bangladesh in the crucial Super 8 clash of the T20 World Cup. The Daren Sammy National Cricket Stadium, Gros Islet in St Lucia hosted the thrilling contest.
The incident took place in the 12th over, which is when the rain started. Afghanistan head coach Jonathan Trott, standing on the sidelines, ostensibly urged his players to take it slow, as Bangladesh were only two runs behind the DLS score. After Trott's signal, Naib fell to the ground citing a hamstring injury, which elicited hilarious reactions from both the fans and the commentators.
After Naib's gesture, the rain got heavier and the covers were brought on in the field. When the rain stopped, Bangladesh were set a revised target of 114 in 19 overs. Interestingly, Naib was introduced into the attack in the 15th over, where he dismissed Tanzid Hasan Sakib.
Watch Gullbadin Naib falling: (via private X user Sports Production's handle)
Indian spinner Ravichandran Ashwin saw the funny side and urged the match referee to give a red card to Naib.
Here are some fan reactions:
"SOMETIMES IT'S CRAMP MOST OF THE TIME IT'S ACTING - GULBADIN NAIB THE LEGEND," another noted.
"I never thought Gulbadin Naib will deliver a better performance than this against Australia. But I was wrong," a fan tweeted.
Some referenced the past behavior of Pakistan players Mohammad Rizwan and Ahmed Shehzad as well.
"Just remembered what Mohammad Rizwan said in WC 2023 " SOMETIMES IT IS CRAMPS SOMETIMES IT IS ACTING. Bad acting skills form Naib and everyone could see that. Even Simon Doull said that Naib did it intentionally," a fan noted.
"Shehzad is no longer the best actor in the history of cricket. Gulbadin is our new Oscar holder," another tweeted.
AFG vs BAN: Afghanistan win a thriller to book 2024 T20 World Cup semifinal spot
Batting first, Afghanistan posted a meager total of 115/5, with Rahmanullah Gurbaz (43 off 55) emerging as the top scorer. Skipper Rashid Khan provided a strong finish by slamming 19 off 10, with three sixes.
In response, Bangladesh could not find much momentum during their innings. Litton Das (54* off 49) was efficient, but the rest of the line-up fell like a pack of cards. Rashid (4/23) and Naveen-ul-Haq (4/26) stole the show for Afghanistan.
With the victory, the Rashid-led side made history, reaching the semifinal of an ICC event for the very first time. They will clash with South Africa in Trinidad on Wednesday, June 26.