Afghanistan's Noor, Mujeeb penalized for breaching ICC Code of Conduct
What's the story
Afghanistan's Men's T20 Asia Cup 2025 campaign ended in disappointment as they were knocked out after losing to Sri Lanka by six wickets. The defeat was compounded by disciplinary actions against spinners Noor Ahmad and Mujeeb Ur Rahman. Both players were reprimanded for breaching Level 1 of the ICC Code of Conduct during their match against Sri Lanka in Abu Dhabi. Here's more.
Code violations
Noor and Mujeeb found guilty of breaching ICC Code
Noor was found guilty of breaching Article 2.8 of the ICC Code, which deals with "showing dissent at an umpire's decision during an international match." This was after he showed his displeasure in the 16th over of Sri Lanka's innings when an umpire called one of his deliveries a wide ball. Meanwhile, Mujeeb violated Article 2.2 for "abuse of cricket equipment or clothing" after he broke the stumps with his towel during the match.
Sanction details
Charges were leveled by on-field umpires
The disciplinary process was overseen by Richie Richardson from the Emirates ICC Elite Panel of Match Referees. Both Noor and Mujeeb accepted their offenses and the sanctions, which included a formal reprimand and one demerit point each. The charges were leveled by on-field umpires Asif Yaqoob and Virender Sharma, third umpire Faisal Afridi, and fourth umpire Rohan Pandit.
Record implications
Formal reprimand is standard penalty for Level 1 offenses
A formal reprimand is the standard penalty for Level 1 offenses, which can also include fines up to 50% of a player's match fee and one or two demerit points. In this case, both Noor and Mujeeb received a reprimand and one demerit point each. According to ICC rules, four or more demerit points in a 24-month period are converted into suspension points leading to an automatic ban.