Who said what - top 3 expert reactions to Gulbadin Naib's injury drama ft. Ravichandran Ashwin
Afghanistan beat Bangladesh by eight runs in a must-win encounter in the ongoing ICC Men's T20 World Cup at the Arnos Vale Ground in Kingston on Tuesday, June 25. The victory allowed the Afghans to qualify for the semi-finals of the marquee tournament, where they will now play against South Africa on Thursday, June 27.
Bangladesh were set a target of 114 to chase down in 19 overs in a rain-affected game, but they imploded spectacularly to hand the win to the Afghans.
One of the most hilarious incidents that caught the eye of spectators worldwide took place towards the end of this game when Gulbadin Naib, egged on by his head coach Jonathan Trott, allegedly faked a hamstring injury.
Naib was fielding at slip when Trott seemingly asked the Afghan fielders to slow the game down given that there was a chance of rain. Almost immediately, Naib, who seemed to be fit and fine until then, went down like a house of cards clutching his hamstring and called for medical attention.
The incident has divided opinion across the world, with experts, pundits and spectators weighing in with their personal takes on it.
In this listicle, we take a look at top three expert reactions to this incident.
#1 Mitchell Marsh
Australia captain Mitchell Marsh, who must have been watching the game keenly as his team's fortune depended on it, mentioned that he found the hamstring incident hilarious.
Speaking to cricket.com.au, Marsh mentioned that the incident perhaps had no bearing on the game but his team was tensed watching the close finish in which Afghanistan pipped their Asian rivals Bangladesh.
"I was almost in tears laughing and at the end of the day it had no bearing on the game. So we can laugh about it now - but gee it was funny. It was outstanding," Marsh told cricket.com.au.
#2 Ravichandran Ashwin
Legendary India off-spinner Ravichandran Ashwin subtly came out in support of Naib after the incident. He said that the latter was fighting for his country, and that such an offense should be forgiven.
On his YouTube channel, Ashwin mentioned that Naib was giving it his all for his country and trying to force his side into the semi-finals; in such cases, everything is fair.
"Gulbadin Naib fell that way. Everyone said that is a penalizable offense. But what the hell, man? The guy is playing for his country, trying to win a World Cup, qualify," Ashwin said.
"In Afghanistan, it is not just momentum. It is a country with so much hope (sic). They are playing for one another. This playing for one another, we can say a thousand things about it. We can say it to so many people. Doesn't India play for one another? For the badge?" he added.
#3 Michael Clarke
Former Australia captain Michael Clarke came out in support of Gulbadin Naib and said that there should not be too much noise made about the incident.
Speaking to ESPN's Around The Wicket, Clarke mentioned that Australians should be the last people to take a high horse regarding such incidents given that they have not been 'squeaky' clean in the past themselves.
“If the sniper got another player of a different team, not mentioning the team, there would be a bit more circus about it. Just let it go and allow Afghanistan to celebrate this win, I think it is that special to them. I don't think any Australian can be kicking too many stones because we are not squeaky clean when it comes to that type of stuff," Clarke said.
Clarke also added that Australia must look beyond the options that they have at their disposal after the ongoing T20 World Cup.
“After the World Cup campaign, the selectors should have an eye on the next World Cup. I don't think Dave (Warner) will be the only one who played his last game for Australia,” he added.
“I'm not too concerned about how old the players are, but I think with how much cricket we have, and just about all these guys getting involved in the domestic T20 leagues around the world, and not just the IPL," he elaborated.