The Afghanistan Cricket Board (ACB) has sanctioned trio of Mujeeb Ur Rahman, Fazalhaq Farooqi and Naveen ul Haq for wanting to opt out of the central contract and asking for No Objection Certificate (NOC) to participate in global T20 leagues. The ACB released a statement on Monday (Dec. 25) stating that the players have been reprimanded for “prioritising their personal interests over playing for Afghanistan.”

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Under the sanctions, the trio of bowlers, have been denied the NOC for overseas participation for the next two years while their central contracts have been delayed too. The players had asked to be released from their central contracts starting January 1, 2024.

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“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 said. “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 read. “It highlights the necessity for every player to maintain the ACB’s principles and prioritise the country’s interests above their personal ones.”

The board has also revoked their present permission to play in the overseas leagues. 

All three players are part of the Indian Premier League (IPL) for different franchises. Mujeeb was recently picked up by Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) in December 19 auction for $241,000.

Naveen and Farooqui, on the other hand, were retained by their franchises, Lucknow Super Giants and SunRisers Hyderabad, respectively ahead of the mini player auction.

Apart from IPL, the players feature in other global T20 leagues as well. For instance, Mujeeb is currently in Australia to participate in the Big Bash League (BBL) for Melbourne Renegades while Farooqi recently featured in UAE based Abu Dhabi T10  tournament.

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