A bizarre incident took place during the match between Afghanistan and New Zealand in the ICC Under-19 Men's Cricket World Cup 2024 in East London's Buffalo Park on Tuesday. (More Cricket News)
Afghanistan's captain Naseer Khan Maroofkhil ran out New Zealand batter Ewald Schreuder by now legal - Mankading when the Kiwis were eight wickets down and needed just two runs to win the match.
The incident happened in the 29th over of New Zealand's innings when they were chasing a modest target of 92 runs. With eight wickets down, New Zealand batters Matt Rowe and Ewald Schreuder were at the crease. Schreuder had already hit a boundary in his inning and was at the non-strike when Afghanistan captain Naseer Khan Maroofkhil came to bowl the over. Maroofkhil was in his run-up when Schreuder left the crease and taking advantage of that, Naseer ran him out.
However, New Zealand won the match on the next as Matt Rowe took a double to finish the match in favour of the Kiwis. Matt Rowe also took a fifer while bowling and was awarded the Player of the Match for his overall performance. With this win, New Zealand have qualified for the Super Sixes with one match still left against Pakistan.
Afghanistan captain Naseer Khan Maroofkhil was not apologetic after the match and said his actions were under the rules and that's why he did that.
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“Yeah it is in the rules and that’s why I did it,” Maroofkhil said after the match.
However, it was not the first incident when Afghanistan came to light for Mankading. During the Under-19 Cricket World Cup 2020, Afghan spinner Noor Ahmad mankaded Pakistan's batter Mohammad Huraira when he was batting on 64.
