Rashid Khan stuns Cricket Australia with silent protest as he skips BBL for second consecutive year

In a shocking development for the Big Bash League 2024-25 (BBL 2024-25), Afghanistan’s T20I captain Rashid Khan has once again decided to sit out of Australia’s T20 tournament. This is the second consecutive year that the dynamic leg-spinner will be skipping the BBL actions, leaving fans, Cricket Australia (CA), and the Adelaide Strikers in disappointment.

Rashid’s withdrawal from the player draft for the upcoming BBL 2024-25, scheduled for September 1, has been a massive blow to the tournament, given his stellar track record with the Adelaide Strikers. His impressive performances over the years have made him one of the big names in the BBL and among the Australian fans.

Big Bash League hit hard as Rashid Khan decides to skip the 2024-25 season

Last season, Rashid opted out due to back surgery, and now he has yet again decided to opt out of Australia’s T20 league, and the possible reason behind the move could be his conflicts with CA. In 2023, Rashid had expressed his frustration when CA decided to cancel the ODI series against Afghanistan in protest of the Taliban's restrictive policies on education for girls.

However, the Afghanistan spinner had initially threatened to boycott the BBL after CA canceled the ODI series on Human Rights Ground after the Taliban banned education for girls in the country, but he later decided to participate in the tournament only to ultimately withdraw from the T20 league.

Meanwhile, the AAP report claimed that Rashid’s manager had informed the Adelaide Strikers of his decision. However, the BBL club is disappointed with the Afghan star’s decision, but they have expressed their willingness to welcome him back in the future. It is being said that the Strikers had been in regular contact with Rashid, but he didn’t show interest in taking part in the BBL 2024-25.

CA feels scheduling conflicts see to force Rashid to miss BBL 2024-25

Rashid’s absence is a big setback for both the CA and BBL. They had hoped for his return to boost the BBL’s profile and maintain its reputation for featuring global stars. Despite this setback, CA reportedly believed that the Afghanistan skipper’s decision was more about scheduling conflicts than any past issues, referring to their dispute over the ODI series withdrawal.

However, the latter stages of the BBL are expected to overlap with South Africa’s SA20, and it could be the reason behind Rashid’s decision. The Afghan star is currently one of the best spinners in the world and plays in various leagues across the globe. Rashid recently played for the Trent Rockets in The Hundred 2024 but suffered an injury while fielding and was ruled out of the 100-ball tournament in England.

Now, Rashid will be next seen in the one-off Test against New Zealand, starting on September 9, followed by a three-match ODI series against South Africa from September 18. He will also join MI New York for the third edition of the SA20 in South Africa. With the 2025 Champions Trophy scheduled for February, there is a push to wrap up franchise tournaments quickly.