Afghan superstar Rashid Khan nominates for draft, cools on BBL boycott

Rashid Khan, BBL: Afghan superstar set for seventh Big Bash season despite comments over Australia’s ODI series withdrawal

The lure of a seventh season in the Big Bash League looks to have proved irresistible for Rashid Khan, with the Afghan spin whiz to be unveiled as one of the most high-profile nominations for this year’s draft.

Rashid Khan strongly considering not returning to the KFC BBL :-

Rashid, the world’s top-ranked T20 international bowler, appears to have cooled his stance since threatening in January that he was “strongly considering” not returning to the KFC BBL in protest over Cricket Australia cancelling a scheduled ODI series against Afghanistan.

R. Khan 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|07. He 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.

Also Read:- Proteas superstars Laura Wolvaardt join WBBL draft nominees

Strikers again expected to take the Afghan leg-spinner :-

The Strikers have pick two 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.

That tournament, where Rashid plays for the Mumbai Indians-owned Cape Town franchise, starts on January 10, meaning if he is retained by the Strikers, Rashid could play up to eight games.

Taliban ban on women and girls’ education and employment in Afghanistan :-

CA decided to withdraw its men’s team from a scheduled three-match series in the UAE in March, citing the Taliban’s ban on women and girls’ education and employment in Afghanistan. CA stated the decision to opt out of the tour was made in consultation with the Australian government. But that players from the nation were welcome in the BBL.

Rashid, who had already finished his BBL stint when the ODI series was cancelled. This lead an angry reaction from Afghanistan officials and players, with the spinner taking to social media to voice his protest.

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Afghanistan, the only ICC full member nation without a women’s team :-

Afghanistan remain the only ICC full member nation without a women’s team.

The Taliban seized control of the Asian nation in September 202. They immediately placed restrictions on female participation in sport, which CA condemned.

That lead to CA cancelling a one-off Test scheduled for November 2021, and then this year’s ODI series in March.