In the ongoing Abu Dhabi T10 League, on Friday’s match between the New York Strikers and Morrisville Samp Army, UAE bowler Hazrat Bilal made headlines with an over-the-top front-foot no-ball that sparked laughter and online chatter.
Playing for Samp Army, Bilal overstepped by more than a foot during a short delivery attempt in the fourth over, shortly after dismissing Zeeshan Abid. The resulting free-hit saw Donovan Ferreira smash a six over extra cover. The incident left teammates, including Faf du Plessis, laughing at the replay, while Reece Topley chuckled from the sidelines. Australian cricketer David Warner also weighed in on social media, questioning if the free hit had been awarded.
This humorous moment unfolded amidst heightened scrutiny of the Abu Dhabi T10 League, which faced ICC corruption bans earlier this year. Former Pune Devils batting coach Ashar Zaidi and team owners Parag Sanghavi and Krishan Kumar Choudhary were sanctioned for corrupt activities in the 2021 season. Zaidi received a five-year ban for enticing players into corruption, while Sanghavi and Choudhary were handed two-year bans.
In the 5th match of the Abu Dhabi T10 League, Samp Army secured a commanding 36-run victory over New York Strikers. Batting first, Samp Army posted a formidable 135/1, powered by skipper Faf du Plessis’ unbeaten 75 off 32 balls and Andries Gous’ quickfire 41* off 16. Despite an early wicket, the duo led the innings with explosive stroke play. In response, the Strikers struggled to keep up with the required rate, losing wickets at regular intervals. Kusal Perera (20) and Kieron Pollard (18) showed flashes of resistance, but Amir Hamza’s 3/22 and Karim Janat’s 2/16 dismantled the chase, restricting the Strikers to 99/7. Du Plessis was named Player of the Match for his stellar knock.
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Hazrat Bilal wouldn’t want to look at that again!🫣
What’s the biggest No-Ball you’ve ever seen in cricket?#ADT10onFanCode pic.twitter.com/Qfinycb2xU
— FanCode (@FanCode) November 22, 2024