Gulbadin Naib fires back at Mohammad Amir for mocking him in ILT20 final: 'Respect is earned, not given'

The Capitals franchise is off to a strong start! The Dubai Capitals have secured their inaugural title by emerging victorious in the ILT20 tournament. Led by Sa and Billings, the Capitals clinched the championship with a hard-fought four-wicket win over the Desert Vipers in the final match. Despite facing tough competition, Sikandar Raza's exceptional performance proved to be the difference maker as the team celebrated their triumph at the Dubai International Stadium in a thrilling showdown.

Tempers flared in the contest as Vipers' Mohammad Amir gave a send-off to Dubai Capitals' Gulbadin Naib. The left-arm pacer bowled a yorker, adjudging Gulbadin out LBW. After dismissing the Afghanistan all-rounder, Amir flexed his biceps, visibly mocking Gulbadin.

After Capitals' win, Gulbadin expressed displeasure with the entire episode, stressing the importance of respect in the game. He went on to say, 'You will only get respect' if you give it in the first place.

"I always say it is a gentleman's game. You should respect each other. If you don't show respect, no one will respect you either. He knows how much respect he got by doing this act. As a cricketer, as a human being, you should respect everyone," Gulbadin told The Hindustan Times after the final.

Gulbadin pointed out he is quite lucky to be associated with the Dubai Capitals as the franchise ownership knows how to respect players.

"The Capitals franchise is a big franchise. They support all sports. Be it cricket, kabaddi and other sports. They are involved big time in cricket. This franchise respects players, they know the value of sport. I am lucky to be associated with this franchise.

'Afghanistan very passionate about the sport'

Ahead of the upcoming Champions Trophy, Gulbadin is optimistic about Afghanistan's chances, saying the country is very passionate about the sport and they will look to give their 100 per cent.

"We love this game. We are very passionate about the sport. Our fans who support us a lot, they are there with us in both good and bad times," said Gulbadin. "We look to give every 100 per cent in each game. If we play good cricket, we will definitely win."

Afghanistan are in the 'Group of Death' in the Champions Trophy as they have been clubbed alongside Australia, England and South Africa in Group B. They will play their first match of the tournament against South Africa on Friday, February 21.

ICC Champions Trophy , ICC Champions Trophy Schedule , and Champions Trophy 2025 Points Table – stay ahead with real-time match updates, team standings, and insights. Check live cricket score , player stats, and ICC rankings of top players like Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli . Get expert analysis, match previews, and in-depth coverage of ICC CT 2025 and IPL 2025, all on HT Crickit, powered by Hindustan Times – your trusted source for cricket news. .freemium-card h4{color:#fff; padding-bottom:20px;} .freemium-card .freemium-content .subcTxt{padding-bottom:16px; color:#fff;} .freemium-card .freemium-content{width: auto; max-width: inherit;} .freemium-card .freemium-content .subcTxt{max-width:inherit; font-size:18px; padding-top:0; line-height:24px} .freemium-card .btnSubc{margin} .freemium-card .btnSubc a{background:#000; color:#fff; min-width:auto; padding:5px 15px; border-radius:6px; font-size:16px; line-height:22px; font-weight:700;} .freemium-card{height:285px} @media (max-width: 767px) { .freemium-card h4{font-size:28px} .freemium-card .freemium-content{max-width:360px; padding: 20px;} .freemium-card{height:303px; background-position: 100% 0; } }