Afghanistan leg-spinner Rashid Khan has reportedly made himself available for the 2023-24 Big Bash League (BBL) season, relenting on his threat to boycott the tournament.
In January of this year, the star of-spinner threatened to quit BBL after Cricket Australia’s (CA) decision to withdraw from a three-match ODI series against Afghanistan due Taliban’s ban on girls’ education in the country.
Following CA’s decision to not compete against Afghanistan in the scheduled ODI series, Rashid Khan left the 2022-23 BBL season midway.
“I am really disappointed to hear that Australia have pulled out of the series to play us in March. If playing Afghanistan is so uncomfortable for Australia, then I wouldn’t want to make anyone uncomfortable with my presence in the BBL. Therefore, I will be strongly considering my future in that competition,” he had said at the time.
Cricket Australia reaffirmed their stance on not participating in Afghanistan matches. However, they expressed that players like Rashid from Afghanistan were still invited to join the BBL.
According to Cricket.com.au report, the Afghan spin whiz is to be unveiled as one of the most high-profile nominations for this year’s draft.
Rashid has played every season with the Adelaide Strikers since bursting onto the scene as a 19-year-old to be the leading wicket-taker in BBL 7 and was picked second in last year’s inaugural BBL draft, with Strikers using their retention rights to hold onto him after an attempted poach from the Melbourne Stars.
In this year’s BBL Draft, to be held on September 3, Strikers are again expected to take the Afghan leg-spinner, who is set to be available up until his departure for a T20 league in South Africa, the report further said.
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