SA vs AFG: ICC action on Mohammad Nabi, heavy fine imposed after this action; Afghanistan’s troubles increased

By Samira Vishwas On Feb 13, 2026

After the exciting match played between Afghanistan and South Africa in the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026, the International Cricket Council (ICC) has taken major action against Afghanistan all-rounder Mohammad Nabi. The ICC has fined him 15 per cent of his match fee, finding him guilty of breaching the code of conduct and also added one de-merit point to his disciplinary record.

What is the matter?

According to official ICC information, Mohammad Nabi was found guilty of a Level-1 breach, which is related to Article 2.4 of the Code of Conduct for players and support staff. This rule pertains to not following the umpire’s instructions during an international match. The incident occurred at the beginning of the 14th over of Afghanistan’s innings, when Nabi had a lengthy argument with the on-field umpires over the wristband worn by South African fast bowler Lungi Ngidi. During this, he did not immediately follow the instructions of the umpire, which was considered a violation of the code of conduct.

Mohammad Nabi has been fined 15 per cent of his match fee and has received a demerit point for a level 1 breach of the ICC Code of Conduct.
The breach – of Article 2.4 – relates to "Disobeying an Umpire’s instruction during an International Match.”
Nabi engaged in a prolonged… pic.twitter.com/jMiHWvKYth
— Cricbuzz (@cricbuzz) February 12, 2026

Umpires complained

The case was reported by on-field umpires Jayaraman Madangopal and Sharafuddaula Ibne Shahid, third umpire Nitin Menon and fourth umpire K.N. Made by Ananthapadmanabhan. After this, match referee David Gilbert of the ICC International Panel took action on this and pronounced the punishment. The matter of relief was that Mohammad Nabi accepted his mistake and accepted the punishment given by the match referee, due to which there was no need for a formal hearing. According to ICC rules, the minimum punishment for a Level-1 breach is an official reprimand, while the maximum punishment can be a fine of 50 per cent of the match fee and one or two demerit points. It is noteworthy that this is Mohammad Nabi’s first disciplinary offense in the last 24 months, hence he was given light punishment and no suspension action was taken.

The road to Afghanistan is difficult

Meanwhile, the defeat against South Africa has made Afghanistan’s position in the tournament more difficult. The team is now on the verge of being eliminated from the group stage and will have to win both its remaining matches and also depend on the results of other matches to maintain its hopes of making the semi-finals.