BBL 2020-21: Rashid Khan could be forced to miss Big Bash League due to Afghanistan-Ireland series

Rashid Khan and other Afghanistan stars Mohammad Nabi and Mujeeb Ur Rahman could be forced to miss a large part of the 2020 Big Bash League after their country announced a one-day series against Ireland which clashes with the Australian T20 tournament.

The Afghanistan vs Ireland series is due to get underway on January 18, with the second and third ODIs on the 21st and 23rd respectively. That will clash with the BBL which gets underway on December 10 and ends on February 6.

Afghanistan will host @Irelandcricket for a three-match ODI series in January 2021. The matches which are scheduled to be held on 18th, 21st and 23rd January respectively, are part of the ODI Super League for the 2023 ICC World Cup.#AFGvIRE pic.twitter.com/gSuXZpqdLG

— Afghanistan Cricket Board (@ACBofficials) November 17, 2020

Rashid Khan, who has represented the Adelaide Strikers for each of the last three seasons, was due to play for them once again. Mohammad Nabi has signed with the Melbourne Renegades while Mujeeb Ur Rahman has inked a deal with the Brisbane Heat. 15-year-old Afghanistan spinner Noor Ahmad is also due to play in the competition for the Melbourne Renegades while Zahir Khan is expected to sign for the Melbourne Stars.

With Australia's mandatory 14-day quarantine rules in place as part of the COVID-19 protocol for arriving passengers, the Afghanistan players would not have enough time to play for their country and return for the business end of the tournament.

Rashid Khan will likely not be allowed to skip the series by Afghanistan cricket board

The Afghanistan vs Ireland series will take place in Abu Dhabi and will be part of the ODI Super League. It counts towards qualification for the 2023 Cricket World Cup in India. So the likes of Rashid Khan will likely not be allowed to skip the series by the Afghanistan Cricket Board.

Losing Rashid Khan for a large chunk of the 2020 BBL would be a huge blow for the Adelaide Strikers as he is one of their main game changers. It will be interesting to see if the the BBL franchises, players and the Afghanistan board can come to a compromise, which would prevent the players from missing both tournaments.