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Rashid Khan (Source: X)
Afghanistan T20I captain Rashid Khan has reportedly decided to skip the upcoming Big Bash League (BBL). The star spinner has learned not to put his name in the draft ahead of the 2024-25 season of the Australian T20 cricket league. It is a setback for the tournament and his team, Adelaide Strikers.
This is the second year in a row that Rashid has withdrawn from the tournament. According to AAP News, the cricketer's management has informed the Strikers about his decision. Meanwhile, the franchise expressed no ill feelings towards Rashid and instead said they are ready to welcome him back next season.
Is Rashid Khan continuing his silent protest?
Rashid had previously threatened to boycott the BBL, following Australia's decision to skip the one-day series with Afghanistan due to the Taliban's stance on women's rights. Even though the ace leg-spinner withdrew his decision, he decided to opt out of the league.
Meanwhile, according to the reports, Cricket Australia is adamant that Rashid's decision to sit out the upcoming season had nothing to do with their men's team skipping the ODI series earlier. It is communicated that the Afghan superstar’s busy schedule is the reason.
Notably, Afghanistan are set to play a historic one-off Test against New Zealand, starting September 9. They will also take on South Africa in a three-match ODI series later in the same month.
Since his BBL debut in 2017, Rashid has played 69 matches with the Adelaide Strikers, picking up 98 wickets at an economy rate of just 6.44. Notably, he is the highest wicket-taker for the Strikers and has the best economy among the bowlers with 50 or more BBL wickets. Known for his finishing prowess, the right-hander has scored 403 runs in 49 innings at a strike rate of 150.37 and a high score of 40.