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Afghanistan’s team for the forthcoming three-match
Twenty20 International series in India includes Mujeeb Ur Rahman. The
22-year-old mystery spinner was playing for Melbourne Renegades in the BBL
rather than representing his country in the T20I series in the United Arab
Emirates. However, the Afghanistan Cricket Board (ACB) withdrew Mujeeb’s
No-Objection Certificate (NoC) for the balance of the BBL, resulting in the
termination of his BBL career.
On December 25, the ACB declared that Mujeeb would be
sanctioned, along with seamen Fazalhaq Farooqi and Naveen-ul-Haq, after they
informed the board that they would not be signing central contracts for 2024.
The three players were informed that their present NOCs would be removed and
that they would be deemed “non-eligible” for NOCs for the following
two years.
After speaking with the board, Farooqi and Naveen
“demonstrated a strong desire to represent their country again” and
have since played for Afghanistan in their most recent Twenty20 International
series against the UAE, according to the ACB.
It will be Mujeeb’s first T20Is in India since July
2023. Mujeeb is a member of Rashid Khan, Qais Ahmad, and Noor Ahmad’s potent
spin unit. The 19-man roster includes Rashid, Afghanistan’s chosen T20I
captain, although he is unlikely to play given his ongoing recovery from a back
surgery that also kept him out of the BBL and the UAE T20I series. It is
acknowledged that he won’t be able to resume bowling for ten days.
Darwish Rasooli, Muhammad Ishaq, and Sediqullah
Atal—all members of the team for the T20Is in the United Arab Emirates—have
been dropped off the Indian series roster. Rahmat Shah continues to play for
the team.
“We are delighted to be embarking on our maiden
tour to India for a three-match series,” Mirwais Ashraf, the ACB chairman,
said in a statement. “India is the top-ranked side in the world and it’s
very pleasing to witness AfghanAtalan competing in a three-match T20I against
them. We believe that AfghanAtalan are no longer underdogs & have excelled
well in the recent past and we look forward to a highly competitive series
against India.”