Rashid Khan casts doubt over BBL future with harsh note condemning Australia's ODI series snub
Rashid Khan has hit back at Australia for cancelling their ODI series against Afghanistan in March by revealing he might not participate in future editions of the Big Bash League. Rashid stated he did not want to make people Down Under uncomfortable, despite being widely celebrated on the island.
Rashid Khan published a strongly worded note on his Twitter on Thursday to express his feelings over the sudden withdrawal of Australia from their ODI series against Afghanistan scheduled to take place in late March in the United Arab Emirates. The all-rounder revealed his disappointment at the news considering the significance of the series for his country in a cricketing context and went so far as to throw doubt upon his future in the Big Bash League.
"I am really disappointed to hear that Australia have pulled out of the series to play us in March. I take great pride in representing my country and we have made great progress on the world stage. This decision from CA sets us back in that journey," Khan wrote on social media.
Earlier in the day, the Kangaroos had released a press release citing the Taliban's recent restrictions on women's education and employment, over a year after having seized control of the Asian nation. The two teams have never previously met in any multi-match bilateral series with the ODI World Cup later in the year attaching even greater importance to the tour, especially for Afghanistan who often have to make do with playing lower-ranked nations to prepare for such marquee events.
Khan played his first season in the Big Bash League in 2017 and has been prolific for the Adelaide Strikers in his seven seasons in the tournament, scalping 98 wickets in 68 outings at an average of 17.51 and a stellar economy of 6.44, while also striking at over 150 with the bat. The 24-year-old is often regarded as the best T20 player in the world and earlier in the year had spoken about how he felt at home in the city. Rashid is popularly treated like a bonafide superstar in Adelaide, with both the franchise and the player asserting their wish to re-unite next year when Khan departed to captain MI Cape Town in the SA20 last week.
"If playing vs Afghanistan is so uncomfortable for Australia then I wouldn't want to make anyone uncomfortable with my presence in the BBL. Therefore, I will be strongly considering my future in that competition," Rashid concluded his note.