Mujeeb Ur Rahman, the Afghanistan spinner who played a pivotal role in Melbourne Renegades’ solitary victory in the ongoing BBL season, has been omitted from the squad for the upcoming match against Melbourne Stars. This exclusion follows alterations to his No-Objection Certificate (NOC) conditions.
The Afghanistan Cricket Board (ACB) imposed sanctions on Mujeeb, along with fast bowlers Naveen-ul-Haq and Fazalhaq Farooqi, after the trio expressed their wish to be excluded from the central contracts list for 2024. These sanctions barred them from obtaining NOCs for participating in T20 leagues over the next two years and annulled any existing NOCs.
Initially, Renegades had stated that they had not received any indication of changes in Mujeeb’s availability for the BBL. They pledged ongoing support for him throughout the BBL season. However, a recent update revealed that Mujeeb is now unavailable for selection due to modifications in his NOC conditions.
Naveen and Farooqi subsequently engaged with the ACB, demonstrating their eagerness to represent Afghanistan again. Consequently, they were included in Afghanistan’s 18-member squad for the ongoing T20I series against UAE, whereas Mujeeb did not secure a place in the squad.
Mujeeb’s impactful performance in Renegades’ lone victory of the BBL season, where he claimed figures of 3 for 20 against Adelaide Strikers on December 29, highlighted his significance to the team. He last represented Afghanistan during the ODI World Cup.
Currently, Afghanistan is engaged in a three-match T20I series in the UAE. After convincingly winning the first T20I, they faced an 11-run defeat in the second match. The third and final game of the series is scheduled to take place on Tuesday.
