Afghan trio could miss BBL finals for Ireland ODIs

Three of the KFC Big Bash's leading overseas players could miss this season's finals after being called up to Afghanistan's one-day squad for the country's first scheduled matches in almost a year.

Rashid Khan (Adelaide Strikers), Mohammad Nabi (Melbourne Renegades) and Mujeeb ur Rahman (Brisbane Heat) have been picked in Afghanistan's squad for their ODI series against Ireland in Abu Dhabi.

The three-match campaign begins January 18 though none of those three BBL teams had yet locked in departure dates for those players by Sunday.

Presuming the trio do leave in the coming weeks, Australia's two-week quarantine period for overseas arrivals would make a return for the finals unrealistic.

The ODI series concludes on January 23. The BBL's regular season ends January 26 and the final is being played on February 6.

Their potential departures would mark considerable blows for each of the three clubs with Rashid, Nabi and Mujeeb all becoming match-winners in recent BBL seasons.

Rashid is arguably the competition's most dangerous bowler and was named the ICC's T20 player of the decade this week, while Mujeeb took 5-15 against the Hobart Hurricanes, the best figures of the tournament this season.

Nabi has had a slow start to BBL10 – he had 66 runs in four innings with a strike-rate of 127 and three wickets with an economy rate above 10 before today's match against the Perth Scorchers – but has been a standout performer in previous seasons and was integral in their BBL|08 title run.

The Renegades have cover for Nabi in another Afghan, 16-year-old Noor Ahmad who did not win selection in the ODI squad.

The other Afghan player in the BBL, the Melbourne Stars' Zahir Khan, also missed selection.

The Heat have already had their star import Tom Banton pull out of the eve of the tournament, while ex-South Africa quick Morne Morkel is also yet to play due to quarantine complications and recovery from ankle surgery.

It comes as the Perth Scorchers' spin stocks also took a hit with confirmation that Ashton Agar, who injured his calf while playing in Australia's one-day series against India, will miss the rest of the BBL season.

"The right calf aponeurosis injury … will require a more extended period of rehabilitation and we hope Ash will be ready to return to play in approximately one month’s time," WACA physio Nick Jones said.

Afghanistan's three matches against Ireland will mark their first games in any format since March as well as their debut in the ICC's new ODI Super League.

Ireland played their first games of the new competition that funnels into qualification for the 2023 World Cup in July-August and notched an upset victory over England in a 1-2 series defeat.