Afghanistan Captain Hashmatullah Shahidi Reprimanded by ICC for Pitch Damage

Afghanistan's skipper Hashmatullah Shahidi (ANI Photo)

NEW DELHI: Afghanistan captain Hashmatullah Shahidi has been handed an official reprimand by the ICC for breaching Level 1 of the ICC Code of Conduct during the third ODI against India at the MA Chidambaram Stadium in Chennai. The left-handed batter was found guilty of violating Article 2.10.10 of the ICC Code of Conduct for Players and Player Support Personnel, which relates to a batter causing deliberate or avoidable damage to the pitch. In an official statement, the ICC confirmed that one demerit point had also been added to Shahidi's disciplinary record, marking his first offence in a 24-month period. Shahidi admitted the offence and accepted the sanction proposed by ICC Elite Panel match referee Ranjan Madugalle, eliminating the need for a formal hearing. The charge was levelled by on-field umpires Chris Gaffaney and Rohan Pandit, along with third umpire Richard Illingworth and fourth umpire Virender Sharma. The Afghan skipper had already been unofficially warned twice for running on the pitch while batting. An official warning followed in the 31st over of Afghanistan's innings. However, Shahidi again ran down the pitch in the 40th over, prompting the umpires to impose a five-run penalty on Afghanistan. According to ICC regulations, Level 1 breaches carry a minimum penalty of an official reprimand and can attract a maximum sanction of 50 per cent of a player's match fee along with one or two demerit points.

Century goes in vain as India complete 3-0 sweep

Despite the disciplinary setback, Shahidi produced a fighting century in the series decider. He scored 102, his maiden ODI hundred, but Afghanistan were bowled out for 218 in 44.2 overs. Prasidh Krishna starred with the ball for India, claiming his maiden five-wicket haul with figures of 5-23. His early burst dismantled the Afghan top order and put the visitors under pressure. India's reply was clinical. Yashasvi Jaiswal smashed an unbeaten 110 off 86 deliveries while Rohit Sharma contributed 79, as the hosts cruised to a nine-wicket victory with 128 balls to spare. The opening pair added 170 runs, including the five penalty runs awarded during Afghanistan's innings. The victory completed a comprehensive 3-0 clean sweep and handed India their first ODI series triumph under captain Shubman Gill.

Shahidi admits Afghanistan fell short

Reflecting on the defeat, Shahidi admitted his side was below its best and acknowledged that playing in India remains a major challenge. "I think we were not good enough. We have talented guys, but playing India in India is tough. We will learn from this and improve moving forward," Shahidi said. He also pointed out that Afghanistan had been away from ODI cricket for eight months before the series and stressed that the team would look to bounce back in its upcoming assignment against Ireland under a new coaching setup.