Afghanistan spinners Noor Ahmad and Mujeeb Ur Rahman have been penalized for breaching minor rules of the ICC Code of Conduct during their Asia Cup 2025 match against Sri Lanka in Abu Dhabi on Thursday, the International Cricket Council said.
Both players were found guilty of Level 1 offenses and received one demerit point each, their first disciplinary punishments in the past 24 months.
Noor was charged under Article 2.8 for “showing dissent at an umpire’s decision during an international match,” after expressing visible disagreement in the 16th over when one of his deliveries was called a wide. Mujeeb was charged under Article 2.2 for “abuse of cricket equipment or clothing, ground equipment or fixtures and fittings during an international match,” after breaking the stumps with his towel.
The sanctions were proposed by match referee Richie Richardson of the Emirates ICC Elite Panel of Match Referees and accepted by both players, meaning no formal hearing was required. The charges were laid by on-field umpires Asif Yaqoob and Virender Sharma, along with third umpire Faisal Afridi and fourth umpire Rohan Pandit.
On the field, Sri Lanka defeated Afghanistan by six wickets to remain unbeaten in the tournament. The result was Afghanistan’s second straight loss and confirmed their exit from the Asia Cup.
