Afghanistan’s star all-rounder Mohammad Nabi will not return to the Kent Spitfires for the 2020 Vitality Blast, as the veteran cricketer and Kent County Cricket Club have mutually withdrawn his summer contract due to uncertainty surrounding England's domestic season this year due to COVID-19 crisis.
The global sporting calendar including cricket has been completely ruined by the ongoing Coronavirus pandemic and England is one of the worst affected countries by this global health crisis with the English domestic season has been recently pushed back to August in wake of the crisis.
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The No.1 ICC ranked T20I all-rounder in the world cricket was due to return to Kent for the whole group stage in the 2020 Vitality Blast, but with the competition delayed due to the COVID-19 outbreak, he will not return this year even if some form of the Blast may be played later.
The 35-year-old played nine matches for Kent in England's premier domestic T20 league, scoring 147 runs and taking eight wickets last year.
Kent’s Director of Cricket, Paul Downton, said on the latest development: “There was a lot of excitement around Nabi returning as a Kent Spitfire in 2020, but unfortunately the uncertainty around the cricket schedule during this current crisis means that this isn’t possible this year.”
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Downton further added, “He was very popular amongst the squad, staff, and supporters here last season and it was great to bring his experience to the Club first time around. Hopefully, there will be an opportunity for Nabi to join us again in the near future.”
Noteworthy, reports suggested that the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) are planning to go ahead with a shortened County Championship followed up by T20 Blast and One-day Cup respectively, but if the English season cannot begin in August, then the board will call off the County season and focus will go entirely on T20 Blast this year.
(With IANS Inputs)
