Afghanistan Board to cut short Mujeeb Ur Rahman's BBL Career

Mujeeb Ur Rahman's time with the Melbourne Renegades in the Big Bash League has come to an abrupt end. The Afghanistan Cricket Board has decided to revoke his No-Objection Certificate, leaving him unable to participate in the remainder of the tournament. As a result, Mujeeb was not able to play in the Renegades' recent match against the Melbourne Stars and has returned home to Afghanistan. The ACB's decision came after Mujeeb, along with two other players, expressed their unwillingness to sign central contracts for 2024. Consequently, the players were deemed "non-eligible" for NOCs for the next two years, prompting the board to revoke any current NOCs they had.

In the ongoing T20I series against the UAE, Farooqi and Naveen have made appearances for Afghanistan after engaging in discussions with the board, expressing their strong desire to represent their country once again. Mujeeb, on the other hand, was not part of the squad for this series but may be considered for the upcoming T20I tour of India.

At the moment, all three players are awaiting the results of a thorough investigation conducted by an ACB committee. The committee will reassess the sanctions that were imposed on them. As it stands, the players will be unable to participate in overseas leagues for the next 24 months, including IPL 2024.

The ACB's strict approach differs from the approach taken by most national boards in recent years. Many boards have allowed their players the flexibility to pursue lucrative contracts in overseas leagues, even if they decline central contracts.

In April 2022, the ICC clarified that all players, regardless of their contractual status with the board or retirement, require NOCs from their respective member boards to participate in domestic matches overseas.

Furthermore, Joe Clarke, the English wicketkeeper-batter, has been ruled out for the remainder of the BBL season.

The Abu Dhabi Knight Riders' player recently suffered a tear during their sole victory against the Adelaide Strikers. This injury has raised concerns about his participation in the upcoming ILT20 tournament.

A spokesperson for the Renegades confirmed on Tuesday that a quad tear has put an end to Clarke's participation in the BBL tournament. In the coming days, he will depart from the Renegades squad and return home. To fill his place, Jordan Cox, who is also from the same country as Clarke, has joined the squad for the derby on Tuesday and will be available for the rest of the league stages before heading to the UAE for the ILT20. Quinton de Kock, on the other hand, has one more match left in his contract before he flies back home for the SA20. With only one win in their first seven matches, the Renegades are no longer in contention for the finals.