Rashid Khan Makes Himself Available For BBL 13, Withdraws Tournament Boycott Threat - Report

Melbourne, August 24: Afghanistan leg-spinner Rashid Khan has reportedly withdrawn his boycott threat of Big Bash League and made himself available for the 2023-24 season of Australia's T20 franchise tournament.

Rashid had threatened to boycott BBL in January earlier this year following Australia's decision to withdraw from a three-match ODI series against Afghanistan in March on human rights ground after Taliban banned university education for girls.

Rashid Khan to play again in BBL after boycott withdrawal?

Australia were scheduled to face Afghanistan in UAE, but Cricket Australia decided to pull out of the series despite ICC ODI Super League points being on offer. Rashid, who represented Adelaide Strikers in BBL, was unhappy with the series being cancelled.

"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 in the overseas draft, meaning the leg spinner will be available for the upcoming season.

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 for the upcoming season which is scheduled to be held from December 7, 2023 to January 24, 2023.

Rashid has represented Adelaide Strikers in the last six seasons of the BBL and is expected to be retained by the franchise ahead of the Big Bash League Players Draft 2023, which is set to take place on September 3 in Melbourne.

While he is likely to be retained, Rashid is unlikely to play in the whole tournament due to his commitments in the SA20, where he leads MI Cape Town with the season scheduled to start in January.

In his stint at the BBL, he has turned up only for Adelaide Strikers, who secured his services in the 2017-18 season, when he finsished as the highest wicket-taker, playing a key role in Strikers title win that year. In 55 matches, he has claimed 81 wickets, including a hattrick in BBL.

(With PTI inputs)