Three players — Mujeeb Ur Rahman, Fazalhaq Farooqi, and Naveen Ul Haq find themselves in a precarious position, as the Afghanistan Cricket Board has sanctioned the trio for prioritising personal interests over playing for the country, as per a board statement.
This means that the players in question can’t play in foreign leagues for two years, with their current NOCs being revoked. It is learnt that the trio expressed their desire to be released from the central contracts starting January 1, 2024, with asking consent to play in T20 leagues across the world.
“The insistence on not signing the central contract for these players was their involvement in commercial leagues, prioritising their personal interests over playing for Afghanistan, which is regarded as a national responsibility,” the board statement added. “By opting for their release, the Afghanistan Cricket Board has decided to take disciplinary measures against these players.”
“The decision by the Afghanistan Cricket Board is made with a focus on national priorities, aligned with the ACB’s core values and principles,” the statement further said. “It highlights the necessity for every player to maintain the ACB’s principles and prioritise the country’s interests above their personal ones.”
Impact on IPL? Perhaps
While there is no clarity over their IPL future, it is interesting to note that Mujeeb was picked up by the KKR for INR 2 Cr, while Naveen and Farooqi were retained by LSG, and SRH, respectively.
Editors pick
