Image Credit- AP
The Afghanistan team for the three-match Twenty20
International Series against the United Arab Emirates includes fast bowlers
Naveen-ul-Haq and Fazalhaq Farooqi; spinner Mujeeb Ur Rahman is not on the
roster. The three had requested to be removed from the central contracts list
for 2024, and the board had approved their request earlier this week.
The Afghanistan Cricket Board (ACB) had said then that
the players were being pulled up for “prioritising their personal
interests over playing for Afghanistan”, with the fallout including no
no-objection certificates (NOCs) being issued to the trio to play in overseas
T20 leagues for the next two years, and a revoking of any NOCs they currently
possess. The ACB also said it “would assess and determine the involvement
of these players in [international] events as necessary”.
Now, the board said, they had “approached the ACB
and demonstrated a strong desire to represent their country again”. In a
statement announcing the squad, the ACB said it “acknowledged and praised
their eagerness to collaborate closely with the [board]”, but the
investigation into the matter that the board had ordered would go ahead.
“The ACB directed the relevant committee assigned
to the matter to conduct a comprehensive investigation and urged them to
communicate their findings and proposed solutions to the board after thoroughly
assessing the players’ requests,” the statement said.
Ibrahim Zadran filled in for T20I captain Rashid Khan,
who was unable to play in the UAE series due to recent back surgery. However,
Rashid went with the team as a backup.
On Friday, the same day as the first Afghanistan vs.
UAE T20I in Sharjah, Mujeeb, who is currently with the Melbourne Renegades in
the BBL, helped his team secure its first victory of the year.
Mujeeb, a regular on the T20 circuit, was recently
acquired for USD 241,000 by Kolkata Knight Riders during the IPL auction. In
the IPL, Naveen plays for the Lucknow Super Giants, and Farooqi, who is still
with Sunrisers Hyderabad, recently competed in the Abu Dhabi T10 tournament.
Each of the three players participated in the 2023 World Cup for Afghanistan.