Due to penalties levied by the ACB (Afghanistan Cricket Board), Afghanistan spinner Mujeeb-ur-Rahman will not play for the Melbourne Renegades in their upcoming Big Bash League 2023–24 match against the Melbourne Stars on Tuesday, January 2, at the Melbourne Cricket Ground in Melbourne.
Notably, the ACB has punished Mujeeb and his colleagues Fazalhaq Farooqi and Naveen-ul-Haq for putting their own interests before representing their nation. The three had stated that they wanted to play in T20 competitions all around the world and not be included in national contracts.
The proposal, however, was met with resistance by the ACB, which punished the players by removing any existing NOCs and preventing the three from participating in T20 competitions for the following two years.
The Renegades management had earlier said that they would continue to support Mujeeb for the balance of the season and that they had not been notified of his unavailability for upcoming games. But on Monday, January 1, they released a new statement declaring his expulsion from the team.
Melbourne Renegades released a statement saying, “Mujeeb Ur Rahman has been removed from the squad after a change to his NOC conditions made him unavailable for the match.”
Mujeeb ur Rahman contributed to the Renegades’ season-opening victory.
Mujeeb ur Rahman played in the starting lineup for Renegades’ last match of the season on December 29 against the Adelaide Strikers, recording 3/20 in four overs to contribute in his team’s victory. A right-arm spinner with an economy of 7.47 and an average of 22.42 from six innings, the player is tied for fourth place among all bowlers this season.
The other two players, Fazalhaq Farooqi and Naveen, have in the meantime sought the ACB to declare their intention to return to national team action. The pair was therefore included in Afghanistan’s 18-man team for the current Twenty20 International Series against the United Arab Emirates; however, Mujeeb ur Rahman was left out.
After Afghanistan won the opening match and the UAE won the second match by 11 runs, the T20I series is presently tied at one. On Tuesday, January 2, the series’ third and final game will take place at Sharjah Cricket Stadium in Sharjah.
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