Hyderabad: The Abu Dhabi T10 League found itself in the spotlight after UAE pacer Hazrat Bilal bowled a massive front-foot no-ball, sparking widespread speculations of spot-fixing during Samp Army's encounter with the New York Strikers on Friday, November 22, 2024. The incident has also raised concerns mounting over the integrity of the tournament.
While bowling the fourth over for Morrisville Samp Army, Bilal bowled line no-ball on the fifth delivery which eventually raised everyone's eyebrows. At that time, New York Strikers were struggling at 32-2 in chase of a 136-run target. The delivery saw him overstep by more than a foot, an error so glaring that it left teammates laughing and even drew a wry smile from Faf du Plessis, who top-scored in the first innings, smashing 75 runs off 32 balls.
The free hit that followed added to the drama, as Donovan Ferreira hit a six over extra cover. This unusual sequence prompted reactions from both fans and players, including Australian cricketer David Warner, who questioned on social media whether a free hit had truly been awarded for the no-ball.
The no-ball incident occurred during a time when the Abu Dhabi T10 League was still under increased scrutiny due to previous corruption scandals. Earlier this year, the International Cricket Council (ICC) imposed bans on several individuals associated with the league including Pune Devils' batting coach Ashar Zaidi and team owners Parag Sanghavi and Krishan Kumar Choudhary. Zaidi received a five-year ban for his involvement in corrupt activities during the 2021 edition while Sanghavi and Choudhary were banned for two years each for failing to report corrupt approaches.
Following the incident, fans on social media were quick to draw parallels between Bilal’s no-ball and earlier controversies.
