Afghanistan all-rounder Gulbuddin Naib has played down the controversial injury delay to the match as his team prepares for a historic appearance in the semi-finals of the T20 World Cup.
Gulbadin was at the centre of a bizarre moment during the Super 8 match against Bangladesh when he stood motionless at the slips before dramatically collapsing to the ground and clutching his legs.
Moments earlier, with Afghanistan leading narrowly through the Duckworth-Lewis-Stern system, as rain began to fall, manager Jonathan Trott could be seen gesturing animatedly from the dugout to his team to slow the pace of the game.
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T20 World Cup Group 1 match highlights: Afghanistan beat Bangladesh to progress to their first ever semi-final, where they will face South Africa.
Afghanistan eventually out-bowled Bangladesh and then narrowly beat Australia to win the match, with a mysteriously fit Gulbuddin bowling his second over and joining in the celebrations as his team reached the last four in a world tournament for the first time.
Former New Zealand international Simon Dowle condemned the incident while commentating, calling it “unacceptable”, while fellow commentator Ian Smith joked: “He’s had some issues with his knee for the last six months. He’ll be taking it in to see doctor Gulbuddin Naib straight after the game.”
The reactions continued to come in, with former England captain Michael Vaughan posting on X: “Amazing that Gulbadin will become the first player in cricket history to take a wicket 25 minutes after being hit.”
Australian spinner Adam Zampa posted a video of Gulbadin’s fall on Instagram with the caption “Old rainstring.”
Afghanistan captain Rashid Khan suggested in his post-match interview that his team-mate had suffered a cramp, but subsequent social media posts took a mischievous tone.
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Michael Atherton and Naser Hussain discuss why the two T20 World Cup semi-finals will be played under different playing rules due to the tournament’s schedule.
Gulbadin, who is expected to be recovered in time for the semi-finals, posted a picture of himself and his physiotherapist Prasanth Panchada, all smiles, on Instagram, writing: “Miracles do happen.”
He also commented on a video posted by pace bowler Naveen-ul-Haq that showed crudely cut footage of Gulbadin running, writing, “Hey, not feeling well…hamstring issue.”
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What’s next?
Afghanistan face South Africa The first semi-final in Trinidad (live on Sky Sports Cricket on Thursday, first ball 1.30am) saw the Proteas edge out England to go top of Group 2 of the Super 8s.
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Speaking on the Sky Sports Cricket Podcast, Michael Atherton and Nasser Hussain discussed whether England have finally fielded their strongest line-up for the semi-final against India.
India They took top spot in Group 1 and set a date for Thursday. England in Guyana (live coverage from 3pm on Sky Sports Cricket, first pitch at 3.30pm).
There is no reserve day for the second semi-final between England and India but 250 minutes of extra time has been added to the scheduled date meaning that if weather prevents the match from being completed, India will progress to the final by topping their Super 8 pool.
You can watch every T20 World Cup match live on Sky Sports, including the final in Barbados on Saturday, June 29. Subscribe to a monthly or daily membership with NOW to watch Sky Sports live with no contract.