Former Indian opener Aakash Chopra commented Thursday on the Afghanistan Cricket Board’s (ACB) decision to withhold No Objection Certificates (NOCs) and delay national contracts for players Naveen-ul Haq, Mujeeb ur Rahman, and Fazalhaq Farooqi.
The ACB has postponed the 2024 annual central contracts for these national players and decided against granting them NOCs for participating in T20 leagues for the next two years. This decision follows the players’ requests to be released from their central contracts to play in franchise tournaments.
“It’s wrong to deny these players their livelihoods, especially since they’ve made a name for themselves in franchise cricket, not just due to the ACB’s efforts,” he said. “This decision not only affects the players but also creates challenges for IPL franchises in Lucknow, Hyderabad, and Kolkata, who now face difficulties in finding last-minute replacements.”
“The refusal to sign the central contract is due to their involvement in commercial leagues and prioritizing personal interests over national duty. As a result, the board has taken disciplinary actions against them,” ACB said in a statement.
Mujeeb was recently bought by the Kolkata Knight Riders for 2 crore in the 2024 IPL auction. He is currently playing for the Melbourne Renegades in the Big Bash League (BBL) in Australia. Naveen is with the Lucknow Super Giants, and Fazalhaq Farooqi is with Sunrisers Hyderabad in the IPL. Both recently participated in the Abu Dhabi T10 league.
