The International League T20 on Monday banned Afghanistan pacer Naveen-ul-Haq for 20 months for breach of contract with his franchise Sharjah Warriors. The pacer played for the Warriors in the first season of the league in January and February 2023 but will now miss out on action for 20 months.
Naveen was being offered an extension with the franchise but he refused to sign it, which resulted in a ban on grounds of breaching the Player Agreement. "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," ILT20's CEO David White said.
"The disciplinary proceedings against Naveen were conducted in a transparent manner and both parties involved were given opportunities to prepare and present their submissions," he added.
The mediation process had failed
Notably, Naveen's franchise Sharjah Warriors approached ILT20 to mediate in the matter. The body then undertook a mediation process through an independent third party. However, the efforts went in vain as the mediation did not materialise.
Naveen played nine matches for the Warriors in the 2023 season. He took 11 wickets at an average of 24.36 which also included a five-wicket haul. The Warriors had a poor season as they finished in the fifth spot in the six-team league. They secured just three wins in 10 games and a no-result outing.
