Afghanistan’s star spinners Noor Ahmad and Mujeeb Ur Rahman faced repercussions after breaching the ICC Code of Conduct in their Asia Cup clash against Sri Lanka. The International Cricket Council handed out reprimands to both players following Thursday’s match in Abu Dhabi, where Afghanistan suffered a heartbreaking six-wicket defeat.
Noor Ahmad got dinged for showing dissent at an umpire’s call, violating Article 2.8 of the code. It happened in the 16th over of Sri Lanka’s chase when the umpire ruled one of his deliveries a wide. Mujeeb Ur Rahman, meanwhile, broke Article 2.2 by abusing cricket equipment—he smashed the stumps with his towel during the game.
Both players picked up one demerit point on their records, marking their first offense in the last 24 months. They admitted the charges right away, so no formal hearing was needed. Richie Richardson, from the ICC’s Elite Panel of Match Referees, approved the sanctions. On-field umpires Asif Yaqoob and Virender Sharma, along with third umpire Faisal Afridi and fourth umpire Rohan Pandit, lodged the complaints.
The match was a must-win for Afghanistan to stay alive in the playoffs, but things went south fast. After winning the toss and choosing to bat, they crumbled to 114/7 by the 18th over. Veteran Mohammad Nabi turned it around with a stunning burst of five straight sixes in the final over, helping Afghanistan post 169/8.
Sri Lanka chased it down comfortably, powered by Kusal Mendis’s unbeaten 74 off 52 balls. The win kept Sri Lanka’s perfect record intact at three straight victories, sending them into the Super Four stage. Afghanistan, however, crashed out of the tournament with back-to-back losses, ending their Asia Cup campaign on a low note.
Noor and Mujeeb had tough nights on the field, finishing with 1/37 and 1/42 respectively, as Sri Lanka’s batsmen took control. This incident highlights the strict standards of the ICC Code of Conduct in international cricket, ensuring fair play even in high-stakes games like the Asia Cup.
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