Afghanistan Cricket Board revokes three star players NOC and delays central contract

Afghanistan Cricket has been one of the associate nations that has seen growth in cricket the most in recent years. The Afghans performed superbly in the ODI World Cup 2023, they performed their best show under the captaincy of Hashmatullah Shahidi, under him they won four games and once they were in contention for the semi-final race as well. The Cricket Board now have taken action against three players by delaying handing out a national contract to them while also revoking their No Objection Certificate (NOC) to participate in franchise leagues across the world.

The trio of Mujeeb ur Rahman, Naveen-ul-Haq and Fazalhaq Farooqi are the players who have been named in the list. During the release sent out on Monday, December 25, the Afghanistan Cricket Board (ACB) revealed that they’d decided to take action against the trio after the players expressed their desire to release themselves from the annual central contract. 

The Board believes that their desire to release them from the central contract is in their interest and prioritize playing franchise cricket over the world over playing for their nation Afghanistan. They also have made a committee to thoroughly investigate the matter and take action against the said players.

It highlights the necessity for every player: Afghanistan Cricket Board

The ACB, in its statement, added, "The decision by the Afghanistan Cricket Board is made with a focus on national priorities, aligned with the ACB's core values and principles. It highlights the necessity for every player to maintain the ACB's principles and prioritize the country's interests above their personal ones."

The committee presented the following recommendations to the ACB’s top management, "Not Awarding Central Contracts: Starting from January 1, 2024, the three players shall not be eligible for the central contract for one year. In this case, ACB will consider and decide their participation in events when needed. Delay Granting No Objection Certificates (NOCs): Consideration of these players as non-eligible to obtain No Objection Certificates (NOCs) for two years. All current NOCs shall be revoked immediately."