Why has Naveen-ul-Haq been banned by ILT20 for 20 months?

The International League T20 has banned Afghanistan all-rounder Naveen-ul-Haq for 20 months from the competition for breaching his player agreement with Sharjah Warriors.

He played nine matches for the Warriors in 2023. According to news agency ANI, Sharjah Warriors attempted to retain him and offered another year of extension on the same terms but he refused to sign the document.

"We do not take pride in making this announcement but all parties are expected to comply with their contractual commitments and recognize that non-compliance can cause damage to the other party. Unfortunately, Naveen-ul-Haq failed to honour his contractual obligations with the Sharjah Warriors and as such the league had no option but to impose this 20-month ban on him," ILT20 CEO David White said.

"The disciplinary proceedings against Naveen were conducted in a transparent manner and both parties involved were given opportunities to prepare and present their submissions,” he added.

Naveen took 11 wickets, including a five-wicket haul, at an average of 24.36 in those nine matches. But the Warriors struggled and finished second from the bottom in the six-team competition, winning just three of their 10 games.

A mediation process failed to settle the Naveen-ul-Haq-Sharjah Warriors dispute

The Warriors approached the ILT20 with the dispute. The league’s administrators tried to find a solution with the help of an independent mediator but failed.

Then, the league’s three-member disciplinary committee comprising White, the head of security and anti-corruption Col. Azam, and a member of the Emirates Cricket Board Zayed Abbas separately heard both parties.

On examining the evidence presented, they decided on a ban and conveyed its final verdict. Naveen, a fast bowler and a lower-order batter, recently featured for Afghanistan in the 2023 World Cup and retired from ODIs after the tournament.

The 24-year-old is part of the Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) squad in IPL 2023.