In the early overs of the match against Afghanistan, England struggled to find their rhythm as the opening batsmen established a solid partnership of 114 runs. Despite one of the openers, Ibrahim Zadran (28), being dismissed in the 17th over, Rahmanullah Gurbaz, who had already achieved his half-century, maintained Afghanistan’s scoring momentum.
The English bowlers made a breakthrough by removing the experienced Rahmat Shah when the scoreboard showed 122/2, putting them in a better position in the game. However, an incident of miscommunication between Hashmatullah Shahidi and Gurbaz added some tension on and off the field.
The turning point occurred when Shahidi faced Adil Rashid in the fifth ball of the 19th over. In an attempt to flick the ball past mid-wicket, Shahidi was met with a swift fielder who quickly returned the ball to Jos Buttler.
Buttler, the wicketkeeper, swiftly gathered the ball and dislodged the stumps in one fluid motion, catching Gurbaz short of his crease as he dived to make it back. Gurbaz’s frustration was evident as he displayed his disappointment and aggression by throwing his bat on the field.
— Cric Browse (@CricBrowse) October 15, 2023
He continued by striking the boundary rope on his way back to the dugout. Clearly upset at missing the opportunity for a World Cup century, he even vented his frustration by hitting a nearby chair in the dugout before eventually making his way to the dressing room with his head down.