Afghanistan’s Rashid Khan has decided to give the Big Bash League (BBL) a snub for the second year in the running. The Afghan leggie was a significant player for the Adelaide Strikers in past seasons. He has 98 wickets in only 69 matches and has gained a cult following in the country.
Rashid stated his decision to boycott the BBL ahead of the 2023 competition when Cricket Australia declined to play a bilateral series with Afghanistan owing to the Taliban’s stance on women’s cricket. He then changed his mind and signed up for the BBL, although he was ruled out of the tournament due to an injury.
Australia has refused to play a bilateral series with Afghanistan due to the Taliban’s decision to prohibit women from participating in various activities in Afghanistan.
Rashid, on the other hand, is opposed to sports politics and has threatened not to attend the BBL in Australia. He recently competed for Trent Rockets in the Hundred.
Rashid is the best spinner in the world, and he plays for several clubs in various T20 competitions throughout the world. He is well-known for winning contests on his own. In addition to his bowling, Rashid Khan can land powerful hits with the bat.
Rashid Khan opts out of putting his name in BBL 2024-25 draft
Interestingly, Rashid Khan has not put his name in the upcoming BBL 2024-25 draft, making himself unavailable for the second season in a row. As per reports, Rashid has already communicated his decision to Adelaide Strikers, who planned to get him back in the player’s draft.
Meanwhile, after deciding to boycott the 2018 edition, there has been speculation that Rashid Khan will do so again to protest Cricket Australia. However, according to AAP, officials have no objections to his ideas and would welcome him to the country whenever he wants to play. They are also confident that Rashid will miss the BBL due to his hectic schedule, not because he wishes to boycott it.
Rashid has already joined MI Cape Town for the third season of SA20, which is most likely why he chose to forgo BBL. If he had played in Australia, the cricketer would have had to depart midway through the competition to travel to Cape Town, South Africa.
To circumvent this, he has opted just to enter one tournament. It will also allow him to rest, as the Champions Trophy will begin shortly after the SA20.
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