Melbourne: Afghanistan’s star leg-spinner Rashid Khan has withdrawn his boycott threat of Australia’s Big Bash League and made himself available for the 2023-24 season of the T20 franchise tournament.
Rashid had threatened to boycott BBL in January this year following Australia’s decision to withdraw from a three-match ODI series in Afghanistan in March last year on human rights ground after Taliban banned university education for girls.
“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,” Rashid had said in a statement at that time.
But according to Australian Associated Press (AAP), the 24-year-old spinner’s name features in the official list of players available for next Sunday’s overseas draft.
The BBL is scheduled to be held from December 7 to January 24.
The AAP report further states that Mujeeb-ur-Rahman, Noor Ahmed and Izhar-ul-haq Naveed are the other Afghan players in the overseas draft.
Rashid has represented Adelaide Strikers in the last six seasons of the BBL and is expected to be retained by the franchise.