Mohammad Nabi Punished By ICC For Disobeying Umpire In SA Match

Mohammad Nabi was fined 15% of his match fee after breaching the ICC Code of Conduct during Afghanistan’s thrilling T20 World Cup clash against South Africa.

Star Afghanistan all-rounder Mohammad Nabi has been sanctioned by the International Cricket Council (ICC) after he was seen arguing with the umpires during his team’s T20 World Cup Group D match against South Africa. The contest later turned out to be one of the most thrilling T20I encounters of the tournament.

Nabi has been fined 15% of his match fee for a Level 1 breach of the Code of Conduct. He was found guilty of violating Article 2.4 of the Code of Conduct for Players and Player Support Personnel, which pertains to “disobeying an umpire’s instruction during an international match”.

The incident occurred at the start of the 14th over of Afghanistan’s innings. Nabi confronted the umpires regarding a wristband worn by South Africa pacer Lungi Ngidi, leading to the sanction.

The match itself ended in dramatic fashion. South Africa edged Afghanistan in a thrilling contest that required two Super Overs to determine the winner.

Nabi endured a forgettable outing overall. He conceded 20 runs in his two overs and managed just five runs off six balls with the bat.

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Wicketkeeper-batter Rahmanullah Gurbaz led Afghanistan’s chase with a brilliant 84 off 42 balls. Late hitting from the lower order helped Afghanistan level the scores at the end of regulation time.

In the first Super Over, Azmatullah Omarzai struck Ngidi for two boundaries and a six to help Afghanistan post 17 runs. However, Tristan Stubbs responded strongly, smashing two towering sixes off Fazalhaq Farooqi, including one off the final delivery, to force a second Super Over.

In the second Super Over, David Miller and Stubbs combined to hammer three sixes and score 23 runs, setting a challenging target. Gurbaz nearly pulled off a remarkable chase, hitting veteran left-arm spinner Keshav Maharaj for three consecutive sixes before getting out, bringing an end to a breathtaking match.