Former Indian cricketer Aakash Chopra slammed the Afghanistan Cricket Board's (ACB) decision to revoke the No Objection Certificates (NOCs) for Naveen-ul-Haq, Mujeeb-ur-Rahman, and Fazalhaq Farooqi.
The ACB's move created uncertainty over the participation of these Afghan players in the upcoming Indian Premier League (IPL 2024) as the board decided to withhold NOCs for their participation in franchise leagues across the world.
The ACB's took strict action after Naveen, Mujeeb, and Farooqi requested to be released from their annual central contracts—a move that the board saw as prioritizing personal interests over national duty.
Notably, these players have been active in commercial cricket leagues all around the world, leading them to ask for release from their central contracts.
Reacting to the issue, Aakash Chopra feels the ACB is doing wrong with the players and Afghanistan cricket, as the national team has been achieving success because of the players participating in franchise leagues rather than the board.
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Aakash Chopra said on Jio Cinema: “Irony is dying because you are not giving them contracts. You are not giving them opportunities. These players are becoming noteworthy not because the Afghanistan Cricket Board is doing a great job, but because they are playing franchise cricket.”
The commentator continued, “They go and play cricket in different countries. I feel it’s wrong not to give them NOCs for two years. The players have already said that they make their living outside Afghanistan. They are being told to prioritize the country’s interests.”
Chopra signed off by saying, “But if their interests are not protected, if they are not allowed to make a living, then what are they supposed to do? Having said this, this decision has increased the headache of three IPL franchises Lucknow, Hyderabad and Kolkata. Finding their replacement at the eleventh hour may be difficult.”
(With Jio Cinema Inputs)
