The 2024 annual central contracts for national players Mujeeb Ur Rahman, Fazal Haq Farooqi, and Naveen Ul Haq Mureed have been postponed by the Afghanistan Cricket Board (ACB).
Furthermore, they intend to be released from their yearly central contracts, but the Board has decided not to award them No Objection Certificates (NOCs) for the next two years.
Due to their participation in commercial leagues and preference for their own interests above representing Afghanistan, which is considered a national duty, the players insisted on not signing the central contract. The Afghanistan Cricket Board has chosen to take disciplinary action against these players by choosing to release them, according to an ACB statement.
The three recently told the board of their want to take part in franchise tournaments and to be liberated from the annual central contracts starting January 1, 2024, according to an ACB statement.
“In response, the ACB assigned a dedicated committee to thoroughly investigate the matter, develop appropriate recommendations that best serve the ACB’s interests and share them with the ACB’s top management,” it continued.
The board established the committee with the goal of “thoroughly investigating the matter and developing appropriate recommendations that best serve the ACB’s interests,” and that committee produced the sanctions.
“The three players formally communicated their decision to the ACB, expressing their desire to release themselves from the annual central contract, starting from January 1, 2024, as well as requested to consider their consent for their participation in the national events,” said a committee member.
“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,” a statement further read.