Afghanistan pacer Naveen-ul-Haq has landed in South Africa following the conclusion of the India series and will feature for Durban’s Super Giants in the SA20 as planned after the Afghanistan Cricket Board (ACB) reversed their previous decision to refuse three players No-Objection Certificates (NOCs) due to a contractual issue.
The ACB initially informed the players that they would be ineligible for NOCs for two years, and Mujeeb was withdrawn when he was playing for the Melbourne Renegades in the BBL. Naveen-ul-Haq and Fazalhaq Farooqi joined the ACB and played three T20Is against the UAE. However, the punishments were largely lifted after a review, allowing the players to sign central contracts and receive limited NOCs.
Previously, the ACB imposed sanctions on the three players after they failed to sign central contracts until 2024. The cricket board was upset with the players’ choice and had to postpone the release of the national contracts. It also decided not to issue them No Objection Certificates (NOCs) for two years.
According to the reports in ESPNcricinfo, Mujeeb and Farooqi have also been awarded NOCs for the ILT20 and will arrive in the UAE on Thursday. Mujeeb will play for the defending champions, Gulf Giants, while Farooqi will represent MI Emirates. The board did not specify the constraints that would be enforced but stated in a press release that
“ACB will strictly consider the issuance of NOCs to the respected players while prioritizing national duty and ACB’s interests. They are all likely to receive NOCs to play in the IPL.”
Naveen-ul-Haq has landed in South Africa and will play for Durban Super Giants, an affiliate of his Lucknow Super Giants IPL franchise, against Pretoria Capitals replacing Richard Gleeson in the squad. DSG, who won their first three games, will also have Marcus Stoinis available after replacing Nicholas Pooran.
The Afghanistan pacer is signed with the Lucknow Super Giants (LSG), where he impressed with 11 wickets in eight IPL 2023 matches as his team advanced to the playoffs. He was retained ahead of the IPL 2024 auction for ₹50 lakh and is likely to play a significant role in the slow wickets of the Ekana Cricket Stadium in the upcoming season.
