Mujeeb Ur Rahman, Fazalhaq Farooqi and Naveen Ul Haq's IPL participation came under serious doubts after the Afghanistan Cricket Board decided to immediately cancel their NOCs (No Objection Certificate) following the cricketers' attempt to opt out of the central contracts and prioritise franchise leagues across the globe. ACB stated that as a disciplinary measure, it has decided to delay the annual central contracts for the three players. According to a statement, “Additionally, the Board has opted not to grant them NOCs for the next two years following their intention to be released from their annual central contracts.”Lucknow Super Giants and Sunrisers Hyderabad had decided to retain Naveen and Farooqi respectively, whereas Kolkata Knight Riders roped in spinner Mujeeb in the auction last week.
However, the ACB’s decision could come as a blow for the franchises, even though they plan to ‘wait and watch’ before making a comment. According to the ACB, the three players were not keen on signing the central contract and ‘prioritised their personal interests over playing for Afghanistan, which is regarded as a national responsibility.’ To thoroughly investigate the matter, the ACB had constituted a committee, which recommended that the three players shall not be eligible for the central contract for one year, beginning January 1, 2024. “In this case, ACB will consider and decide their participation in events when needed,” the committee observed. “The three players formally communicated their decision to the ACB, expressing their desire to release themselves from the annual central contract, starting from 1st January 2024, as well as requested to consider their consent for their participation in the national events,” a committee member stated, adding that the Board has communicated its stance to all the stakeholders - the ICC, ACC, member nations. The IPL is expected to begin around March 22 next year. And it needs to be seen whether the ACB sticks to its decision or eventually relents, allowing the players to feature in the league.
