In their Asia Cup clash against Afghanistan on a flat Lahore pitch, the Sri Lankan batsmen had a great time. After 37 overs, they were in a strong position at 214/4. Kusal Mendis was the standout performer, holding firm at 90 not out, and he appeared at ease facing Afghanistan’s formidable spin duo of Rashid Khan and Mujeeb Ur Rahman.
Unfortunately, Rahman had a challenging day, giving away 49 runs in his eight overs without taking any wickets. This frustration boiled over, leading to an unsightly incident involving his teammate Rahmanullah Gurbaz during the 35th over of the match.
While the off-spinner delivered to Dhananjaya de Silva, who expertly flicked a full delivery off his legs for a speedy double. Kusal Mendis, sprinting towards the non-striker’s end, briefly seemed in trouble, but the throw went towards the wicket-keeper. In an attempt to secure a crucial wicket for his team, Rahmanullah Gurbaz grabbed the Kookaburra and hurled it across the pitch at the stumps, narrowly missing the mark and allowing the Lions to snatch an extra run.
As the ball passed by Mujeeb, who was stationed by the stumps, the bowler unleashed a loud shout directed at his teammate and exchanged some stern words with Gurbaz. However, the wicket-keeper responded swiftly, and their clearly heated exchange concluded with the bowler wagging his finger at Gurbaz, issuing what appeared to be a warning.
— andre bapat (@AndreBapat82195) September 5, 2023
Social media users were swift in their criticism of the Afghans for their apparent lack of camaraderie, expressing their sentiments on platforms like Twitter.