Afghanistan’s Mohammad Shahzad earned himself a demerit point after he was caught smoking at the Shere Bangla stadium in Mirpur during the 2022 Bangladesh Premier League.
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The batter, part of the Minister Group Dhaka squad, was waiting the start of his team’s rain-affected game against Comilla Victorians. The BPL game eventually didn’t take place as rain had the final say, but Shahzad was caught smoking while he was on the ground. The photograph was carried by a number of outlets and was also visible on social media.
Afgan Batter Mohammad Shahzad Was Seen With Cigarette During Rain Break Of Today's #bplt20 Match.
Hmm, Shouldn't Do It Publicly, Gives A Bad Sight pic.twitter.com/7gBB5A62me
— বাংলার ছেলে 🇧🇩 (@iSoumikSaheb) February 4, 2022
Shahzad was found guilty of breaching BCB’s code of conduct. His actions were in contravention of Article 2.20 which deals with conduct that is contrary to the spirit of the game. Shahzad accepted his offence, and the charge laid out by the match referee. He earned a demerit point as a result of the same.
The Afghanistan player has had a hit-and-miss tournament so far, having scored 120 runs at an average of 20 including a fifty.
This isn’t the first time a cricketer has been seen puffing during a game. In 2020, Australia’s Aaron Finch was caught vaping in the RCB dressing room during an IPL match.
