Afghanistan spinner Mujeeb Ur Rahman’s season in the ongoing Big Bash League (BBL) has come to an end after the Afghanistan Cricket Board (ACB) revoked his No-Objection Certificate (NOC) for the remainder of the tournament.
The right-arm spinner was plying his trade for Melbourne Renegades in the thirteenth edition of the BBL. On Tuesday (January 2), he was not available for selection for the Melbourne Derby. In his absence, the Renegades suffered a eight-wicket defeat against Melbourne Stars. According to a report in ESPNcricinfo, he has returned home and is waiting for an update from the board.
“Mujeeb’s time with the Melbourne Renegades in BBL13 has unfortunately come to an end,” a Renegades spokesperson told the news outlet. “Due to a recent change in his NOC, his tournament ended earlier than anticipated and he flew home this evening.”
ACB takes action against Mujeeb Ur Rahman:
The ACB has revoked the NOC for Mujeeb Ur Rahman after he along with pacers Fazalhaq Farooqi and Naveen-ul-Haq told the board they would not sign central contracts for 2024. On December 25, the ACB had told the trio they would be sanctioned for their decision. The ACB stated that all the three players would be considered “non-eligible” for NOCs for the next two years, and that any current NOCs would be revoked.
After the ACB announced the sanction, Mujeeb Ur Rahman played two more games in the BBL before Renegades were told that his NOC has been withdrawn. On the other hand, Farooqi and Naveen have returned to action for Afghanistan and recently played in the T20I series against UAE. Both the pacers along with Mujeeb Ur Rahman are likely to be a part of the squad for the upcoming T20I series against India.
At present, they are waiting for the ACB to reconsider the sanctions imposed. As of now, none of the three players have the required permission to play in overseas leagues over the next 24 months, including IPL 2024. Mujeeb Ur Rahman was recently signed up by Kolkata Knight Riders while Naveen and Farooqi are part of Lucknow Super Giants and Sunrisers Hyderabad squads respectively.
