Naveen-Ul-Haq ILT20 Ban: Why Afghanistan Pacer Has Been Banned For 20 Months By International League T20?

Add as a preferred source on Google

Dubai, December 18: The International League T20 (ILT20) has banned fast bowler Naveen-ul-Haq for 20 months for breaching his Player Agreement with Sharjah Warriors who had signed him for Season 1 of the tournament.

As per the official statement, "Naveen was offered another year's extension by the Warriors but refused to sign the retention notice for Season 2." This has resulted in the Afghanistan pacer breaching his contract with Sharjah Warriors.

Naveen had played in Season 1 of the ILT20 in January-February 2023 window for Sharjah Warriors, who earlier this year sent him a retention notice on the same terms and conditions in accordance with the Player Agreement terms.

Sharjah Warriors approached the ILT20 to intervene in this dispute. The ILT20 first initiated a mediation process through an independent third-party mediator, however the mediation failed.

The ILT20's three-member Disciplinary Committee which included the league's Chief Executive Officer David White, Head of Security and Anti-Corruption Col. Azam and Member Emirates Cricket Board Zayed Abbas separately heard both the parties.

After hearing from both Naveen and Sharjah Warriors, and on examining the evidence before them, the ILT20 disciplinary committee conveyed its final verdict of a 20-month ban on Naveen.

CEO DP World ILT20 David White: "We do not take pride in making this announcement but all parties are expected to comply with their contractual commitments and recognize that non-compliance can cause damage to the other party.

"Unfortunately, Naveen-ul-Haq failed to honour his contractual obligations with the Sharjah Warriors and as such the league had no option but to impose this 20-month ban on him.

"The disciplinary proceedings against Naveen were conducted in a transparent manner and both parties involved were given opportunities to prepare and present their submissions."

What does the ban mean for Naveen?

The 24-year-old, who retired from ODIs after the recent ODI World Cup, will not be part of the ILT20 for the next 20 months, meaning he could miss two seasons of International League T20.

But the Afghanistan pacer can still play in other T20 leagues and on the international stage, meaning he could represent Lucknow Super Giants in the IPL 2024, and play in Afgahnistan's T20 matches.

The ILT20 season 2 will be held once again in the January-February window next year with the Sharjah Warriors hosting Gujarat Giants in the opener at the Sharjah Cricket Stadium in Sharjah on January 19, 2024.