UAE bowler Hazrat Bilal drew attention during Samp Army’s match against New York Strikers in the Abu Dhabi T10 League on Friday with a front-foot no-ball that sparked laughter and online debate.
Bilal, playing for Samp Army, overstepped by more than a foot while attempting a short delivery, prompting reactions from teammates, fans, and Australian cricketer David Warner.
Bilal’s no-ball came in the fourth over after he dismissed Zeeshan Abid. The subsequent free-hit was smashed for six over extra cover by Donovan Ferreira. On the field, teammates, including Faf du Plessis, were seen laughing at the replay, while Reece Topley chuckled on the sidelines. Warner took to social media to question whether the free-hit was granted, highlighting the moment further.
The incident occurred amid renewed scrutiny of the Abu Dhabi T10 League following 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 edition. Zaidi was handed a five-year ban for enticing participants into corruption, while Sanghavi and Choudhary received two-year bans each.
In the match, Samp Army cruised to victory, restricting New York Strikers to 99-7 in their chase of 136. Earlier, Faf du Plessis led the Samp Army’s charge with a blistering 75 off 32 balls.
