Afghanistan Spinner Noor Ahmad Banned for 12 Months by ILT20

Noor Ahmad, the 19-year-old Afghanistan spinner, has been handed a 12-month ban by the UAE's International League T20 (ILT20) for breaching his player agreement with the Sharjah Warriors franchise. The ban stems from Noor's refusal to sign a retention notice offered by the Warriors ahead of the second season of the ILT20, opting instead to play in the South Africa's SA20 with the Durban Super Giants.

The ILT20 disciplinary committee, comprising league CEO David White, head of security and anti-corruption Col Azam, and Emirates Cricket Board member Zayed Abbas, investigated the matter and heard the perspectives of both Noor and the Warriors before reaching their verdict. Initially, the committee recommended a 20-month ban for Noor, considering the severity of the breach. However, taking into account Noor's age at the time of signing the original agreement and his explanation that his agent had not fully informed him of the contract terms, the committee decided to reduce the ban to 12 months.

Noor's ban marks the second such incident involving a Warriors player in recent months. In December 2022, Naveen-ul-Haq, another Afghanistan cricketer, was banned for 20 months by the ILT20 for a similar breach of contract. This effectively rules out both Noor and Naveen from participating in the ILT20 in 2024 and 2025.

During his stint with the Warriors in the inaugural season of the ILT20, Noor featured in seven matches, claiming four wickets at an average of 37 and an economy rate of 7.04. His ban serves as a reminder to players of the importance of adhering to contractual obligations and the consequences of breaching such agreements.

Tags: #ILT20, #SharjahWarriors, #NoorAhmad, #PlayerAgreement, #RetentionNotice