Afghanistan’s all-rounder Gulbadin Naib dismissed Andile Phehlukwayo in the first ODI at Sharjah Cricket Stadium. The South African team was shocked and stunned.
Even though South Africa won the toss and chose to bat first, Afghanistan’s bowlers quickly put an end to their performance. Within just 7.3 overs, Fazalhaq Farooqi and Allah Ghazanfar caused a lot of damage by getting three wickets each, leaving South Africa in a tough spot at 36 for 6.
In the middle of the breakdown, Andile Phehlukwayo came in to bat at number seven. He didn’t stay at the spot for long, though, because Gulbadin Naib ran him out in a dramatic way before he could score a run.
The event took a turn for the worse with the 10th over’s last ball. Phehlukwayo just barely made it through an LBW shout on a throw from Allah Ghazanfar, but what happened next was a terrible mistake. He left his spot without realizing the ball was still in play, as if he wanted to get a quick single. Gulbadin Naib, who was suffering from a leg slip, saw the opportunity right away. Naib threw the ball quickly and accurately at the stumps, which knocked the bails off and caught Phehlukwayo off guard. The South African looked confused and didn’t know what had happened. He turned to the square-leg referee, who confirmed the run-out.
After going out, South Africa was in a lot of trouble. They were 36 for 7 in the first 10 overs, their worst stretch.
It’s intriguing that this is not the first time that Gulbadin Naib has been in the spotlight for a big moment on the field. He made a lot of noise on social media during the 2024 T20 World Cup on June 25, when his team had to beat Bangladesh in a must-win game. The Duckworth-Lewis-Stern (DLS) method says that Naib faked a leg injury to waste time in that match, even though Afghanistan was ahead by two runs. Rain forced the game to halt at the Arnos Vale Ground, where the incident took place. During the wait, Afghanistan’s head coach, Jonathan Trott, was seen telling the players to slow down because he knew that a delay could help Afghanistan make it to the semifinals.
Gulbadin Naib has shown over and over that he is a player who can make both controversial and brilliant plays. It’s unclear whether this is on purpose or not. Fans and opponents are still amazed by how quickly he thinks on the field.