Afghanistan’s Qais Ahmad scored an unbeaten 49 to help secure a historic Test draw against Bangladesh. His hamstring cramps with 10 minutes remaining sparked comparisons to Gulbadin Naib’s infamous 2024 T20 World Cup moment.
Afghanistan’s Qais Ahmad was one of the instrumental players behind the side’s historic draw in a one-off Test match against Bangladesh at Sheikh Zayed Stadium in Abu Dhabi on Tuesday, October 13.
On the final day of the one-off Test, Afghanistan resumed their 479-run chase with an overnight total of 132/3, with Sediqullah Atal and Hashmatullah Shahidi batting on 35 and 19, respectively, and needed 347 runs to win. However, the hosts battled for 90 overs through grit, determination, and immense patience.
In the final hour, Afghanistan faced the ultimate test of endurance as Bangladesh threw everything into breaking their stubborn lower-order resistance. Qais Ahmad (49* off 80 balls) was crucial in absorbing the pressure and bleeding time off the clock, frustrating the opposition to their absolute limit.
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Qais Ahmad Sustains Cramps in Final 10 Minutes
As Afghanistan managed to pull off a historic Test draw against Bangladesh, even when sheer exhaustion set in, Qais Ahmad refused to buckle. Qais was a lone warrior in the lower order as the hosts were staring down a daunting blockathon under the fading lights, with every single dot ball acting as a dagger to Bangladesh’s hopes of a breakthrough.
However, Qais, who smashed 6 fours and 3 sixes in his unbeaten 80-ball 49, also provided a dramatic theatre of the day when only 10 minutes were left for the day to conclude. The incident took place in the 140th over of Afghanistan’s run chase when Qais blocked the delivery off Taijul Islam.
The 26-year-old suddenly suffered cramps in his left hamstring and went down dramatically on the turf, requiring a four-minute medical stoppage. Bangladesh players were apparently amused by the timing, with skipper Najmul Hossain Shanto sharing a grin as Qais received a quick massage to eat up four precious minutes.
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Qais Ahmad’s sudden cramps when only 10 minutes remained in the day brought back memories of Gulbadin Naib during the T20 World Cup 2024. Interestingly, the same incident happened during the match against Bangladesh.
Gulbadin was fielding at slip when he suddenly fell onto the ground, clutching his hamstring after being signaled by coach Jonathan Trott to slow the game down ahead of rain. Qais Ahmad appeared to have used his brain from the very same playbook.
‘Gulbadin Naib 2.0’: Qais Ahmad’s Cramps Leave Fans In Splits
Qais Ahmad’s sudden cramps during the final 10 minutes of Day 5 of the one-off Test against Bangladesh have sparked hilarious reactions on social media, especially X (formerly Twitter), with fans comparing the Afghanistan spinner’s dramatic moment to Gulbadin Naib’s famous cramps during the 2024 T20 World Cup.
Taking to their X handles, many fans drew parallels between the two incidents, with Qais going down with cramps just minutes before Afghanistan secured a hard-fought draw against Bangladesh. Others joked that Qais had pulled off a ‘Gulbadin Naib 2.0’ moment, with the timing of his hamstring cramps adding another twist to the hosts’ dramatic late resistance.
Another section of users also compared Qais Ahmad’s cramps to Gulbadin Naib’s incident during the 2024 T20 World Cup, with one fan describing it as a “deja vu” moment.
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Qais Ahmad has featured in three Test matches and scored 94 runs at an average of 18.80, and picked up five wickets at an average of 52.80 and an economy rate of 4.35 in six innings.
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