Noor Ahmad plays for CSK in the IPL | Source- AFP
The Caribbean Premier League (CPL 2026)'s franchise, Saint Lucia Kings, have been dented by the Afghanistan Cricket Board (ACB) at the the last minute.
Noor Ahmad, who was slated to join the the Kings midway through the CPL 2026, will miss the tournament as the ACB revoked his No Objection Certificate (NOC) abruptly.
ACB denies Noor Ahmad to play in CPL 2026
The ACB has revoked Noor Ahmad's NOC at the very last minute. The left-arm spinner, who played for Manchester in the Hundred 2026, was to join the franchise after his stint in the UK.
"Noor will no longer be available to represent the Saint Lucia Kings for the remainder of the tournament," St Lucia Kings said in a statement. "The franchise is disappointed that Noor will be unable to join the team and wishes him all the best.
Notably, he last represented the Kings two seasons ago, when he returned as the highest wicket-taker and helped the franchise lift the silverware.
St. Lucia Kings signs Tim Seifert as Noor Ahmad's replacement
In the absence of Noor Ahmad, Tim Seifert has been signed as a replacement by the St. Lucia Kings. The Kiwi wicket-keeper, who was with the Kings since 2024, is coming fresh from the Hundred 2026, where he tonked 394 runs during Manchester Super Giants' title-winning tournament.
"In the meantime, the St Lucia Kings look forward to welcoming Tim Seifert, who is currently on his way to Saint Lucia to join the squad," the franchise announced.
Why did ACB revoke Noor Ahmad's NOC for CPL 2026?
Although the ACB hasn't revealed the reason behind revoking Noor Ahmad's NOC, the only logical reasoning could be the recently added T20I series against India.
Afghanistan will host the T20 World Champions in India in mid-September, which would clash with the business end of the CPL 2026.
The board might want to keep Noor fresh for the massive series. Moreover, the left-arm spinner is a massive part of the Afghanistan ODI set-up, which means the same trend could continue till the next ODI World Cup next year.
It is worth mentioning that Noor Ahmad was only the second Afghan contracted to play the CPL 2026, alongside his fellow left-arm wrist-spinner Waqar Salamkheil.
Boards might ask players to skip IPL, other leagues to prioritise WC 2027
Recently, the ICC changed the format of the 2027 World Cup, with top teams playing at least 11 matches before the semifinals. As a result, the boards would look to take all necessary precautions to keep their players free of injury in the build-up to the marquee event.
Thus, top cricketing boards might ask their mainstay players to skip the IPL 2027 season, which will be just months before the next ODI World Cup.
That said, ACB could also look to keep their top players, such as Rashid Khan, Noor Ahmad, and Azmatullah Omarzai, away from the IPL, which turns out to be too tiring for foreign players given the hectic scheduling and travel.
However, foreign players might not look to skip the lucrative tournament, given the amount of money IPL contracts offer. This means tournaments like the PSL, CPL and the Hundred might have to pay the price, as these tournaments will be played in the window near the ICC event.
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