The Afghanistan Cricket Board (ACB) has relaxed its sanctions on the trio of Mujeeb Ur Rahman, Naveen-ul-Haq and Fazalhaq Farooqi by deciding to grant a "limited" number of NOCs (No Objection Certificates) to play in T20 franchise competitions around the world.
The board has also cleared the three players to avail central contracts.
For the unversed, the ACB had revoked the NOCs of the three players last month after they had expressed their desire to be released from their central contracts to play for T20 franchises worldwide.
The change in ACB's stance came after the three players in question approached the board with a "a strong desire to represent the country again".
The trio has been given a final warning and has suffered wage cuts from its monthly remuneration. A press release issued by the ACB specifies that the board, "may grant central contracts to these players while strictly monitoring their performance and discipline in events".
"The players have undoubtedly contributed to the team’s success and have represented the nation to the best of their values. We hope that they avoid making similar inconveniences in the future as we expect them to represent the country in the best of manners," ACB chief Mirwais Ashraf said.
"The ACB and the rules are above all of us and it’s important to adhere to the regulations because there are no exceptions for anyone in this regard. However, such cases of a similar nature would be dealt with more strictly as we prioritize the prestige of the Afghanistan Cricket and the organization," he added.
Notably, Afghanistan's next assignment will see them lock horns with India on the latter's turf in a three-match T20I series starting January 11.
Ibrahim Zadran (c), Rahmanullah Gurbaz (wk), Ikram Alikhil (wk), Hazratullah Zazai, Rahmat Shah, Najibullah Zadran, Mohammad Nabi, Karim Janat, Azmaullah Omarzai, Sharafuddin Ashraf, Mujeeb Ur Rahman, Fazal Haq Farooqi, Fareed Ahmad, Naveen-ul-Haq, Noor Ahmad, Mohammad Saleem, Qais Ahmad, Gulbadin Naib and Rashid Khan.
