Rashid Khan. (Source – Twitter/X)
Star spinner Rashid Khan will skip the upcoming edition of the Big Bash League. In the 2023-24 season, the Afghanistan international missed out due to injury and now, the cricketer hasn’t registered himself for the upcoming draft, scheduled to take place on September 1. As per reports, Rashid has already communicated his decision to Adelaide Strikers, who were planning to get him back in the player’s draft.
Ahead of the 2023 edition of the tournament, Rashid announced his decision to boycott BBL after Cricket Australia refused to play a bilateral series against Afghanistan due to the Taliban’s stance on women’s cricket. However, he later changed his views and registered for BBL but never played in the tournament as he was ruled out with injury. He was expected to make his return this year but Rashid made himself unavailable.
Meanwhile, after he decided to skip the upcoming edition, there have been talks about Rashid doing it again to protest against Cricket Australia. However, according to AAP, the officials have no issues with his views and would welcome him in the country whenever he wants to play. They are also convinced that Rashid will miss the BBL due to his busy schedule and not because he wants to boycott it.
Also Read – Adelaide Strikers appoint Tim Paine as new head coach for upcoming BBL season
Rashid has already joined MI Cape Town for the third edition of SA20, which is likely the reason why he decided to skip BBL. If he had played in Australia, the cricketer would have had to leave the tournament halfway to join Cape Town in South Africa. To avoid that, he has decided to play only one tournament. It will also help him get some rest as the Champions Trophy will begin soon after the completion of SA20.
Notably, Rashid has taken the most wickets by any overseas player in BBL history with 98 scalps to his name in 69 matches for the Strikers. He also shares a brilliant relationship with the fans. Meanwhile, Strikers captain Alex Carey is expected to be announced on a new multi-year deal on Tuesday, August 20.