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Australia captain, Mitchell Marsh, has injected a dose of humour into the tense atmosphere of the ongoing ICC Men’s T20 World Cup. He recently spoke about the now-infamous incident involving Afghanistan all-rounder Gulbadin Naib, who appeared to fake a hamstring injury during their crucial match against Bangladesh.
A DLS dilemma and Gulbadin Naib’s dramatic fall
With rain threatening to wash out the Afghanistan-Bangladesh clash, the game hung in the balance. Bangladesh were just two runs behind as per the Duckworth-Lewis method (DLS) when the rain stopped play in the 12th over.
In a dramatic turn of events, Gulbadin Naib theatrically collapsed to the ground while fielding at first slip, clutching his hamstring. This incident, reportedly orchestrated by Afghanistan coach Jonathan Trott in an attempt to slow down the game, had the potential to swing the result in their favour if the rain intensified. A DLS victory for Afghanistan with Naib’s injury as the reason would have been a controversial outcome.
However, the rain gods had other plans. The shower subsided shortly after Naib received treatment, and Afghanistan ultimately secured a conventional eight-run victory, booking their place in the semi-finals.
Also READ: Rashid Khan reacts to cheating accusations amid Gulbadin Naib drama during Afghanistan’s victory over Bangladesh | T20 World Cup
Laughter through disappointment for Marsh & Co.
While Australia’s qualification chances were dependent on Bangladesh’s victory over Afghanistan, Mitchell Marsh found humour in the midst of their disappointment.
“I was almost in tears laughing,” he confessed to cricket.com.au. “But 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 acknowledged the lightheartedness of the situation in hindsight, but also emphasized Australia’s strong desire to remain in the tournament. This marked their second consecutive T20 World Cup where they failed to reach the knockout stages.
“We watched it as a group,” he said. “We were all flat (when the final wicket fell). We were desperate to continue, but fair play to Afghanistan – they beat us and they beat Bangladesh and they deserve to be in the semi-finals.”
