England's star all-rounder Sam Curran found himself at the centre of an unexpected controversy during the high-octane World Cup clash against Afghanistan. In a match that already had its fair share of adrenaline-pumping moments, Curran's frustration boiled over as he encountered an infuriating over from Afghanistan's Rahmatullah Gurbaz.
Very Very Bad behavior from Sam Curran
— Asmar Hassan (@AsmarHassan20) October 15, 2023
Shame on you This behavior not suits to
a sports man_#CWC23#CWC23#INDvsPAK#INDvsPAK#INDvsPAK | #PAKvIND | #PAKvsIND#INDvsPAK #PAKvIND!#INDvsPAKINDvPAK #ODIWorldCup2023 #ICCWorldCup2023 #INDvsPAK#IndiaVsPakistan #Abhiya pic.twitter.com/C5tNxbjlfV
Afghanistan's opening duo, Rahmanullah Gurbaz and Ibrahim Zadran, set a scintillating stage with a formidable partnership exceeding the 100-run mark. Gurbaz, in particular, was in a ruthless mood, displaying explosive hitting in the opening overs of their innings. The ninth over proved to be particularly brutal for Sam Curran, as Gurbaz hammered the English all-rounder for a sequence of boundaries, including two fours and a colossal six, accumulating a staggering 20 runs from the over.
After enduring a chastening over, an exasperated Sam Curran was fielding near the boundary line. It was during this moment of heightened frustration that a cameraman ventured too close for comfort. Clearly agitated by the situation, Curran decided to take matters into his own hands, quite literally. The England player shoved the cameraman away, and his gestures indicated a strong desire to maintain his personal space near the playing field.
The live commentary made no mention of Curran's actions, but eagle-eyed fans quickly picked up on the incident and voiced their disappointment across social media platforms. It's evident that Curran's actions have not gone unnoticed, and they are sure to spark discussions within the cricketing community and beyond.
Prior to this incident, Sam Curran had been a crucial part of England's World Cup campaign, taking wickets in their previous encounters against New Zealand and Bangladesh. England had bounced back remarkably after a devastating loss to New Zealand in the tournament's opening game. Now, with this unexpected episode making headlines, the focus might shift to Curran's emotional outburst rather than his on-field contributions.
On the other side of the equation, Afghanistan is still in search of their first win in the competition. After a lopsided loss to Bangladesh in their tournament opener, they showed promise against India with a competitive batting display but failed to restrict the superior Indian batting lineup. They now face a steep challenge to secure a victory in their quest for World Cup glory.