The Afghanistan Cricket Board (ACB) has approved a new policy limiting its players to a maximum of three foreign franchise leagues per year, and the T20 tournament, based on the board’s own five-team franchise, is scheduled to start in the UAE in October 2026.
The decision was one of the key policy actions taken at the ACP’s annual general meeting in Kabul.
“To protect the fitness and mental health of the players, the board has approved a new policy regarding foreign leagues,” the ACP said in a statement.
“Players will now be allowed to participate in the Afghanistan Premier League (APL), along with three other international leagues per year. The move is aimed at managing workload and ensuring peak performance for national duties,” the statement added.
The move could have financial implications for Afghanistan’s top T20 stars, particularly Rashid Khan, the leading wicket-taker in T20 cricket.
Rashid currently captains MI Cape Town in the SA20 and plays for Gujarat Titans in the IPL and represents Mumbai Indians’ other franchises, including MI Emirates in the ILT20 and MI New York in Major League Cricket.
Other Afghan players in high demand in global franchise leagues such as Noor Ahmad, Mujeeb ur Rahman, AM Ghazanfar and Rahmanullah Gurbaz could also be affected by the new restrictions.
Many cricket boards have implemented similar caps to manage players’ workloads.
For example, the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) allows its players to play in only two foreign leagues outside the Pakistan Super League (PSL).
Meanwhile, Afghanistan’s next international assignment is a three-match T20I series against the West Indies in the United Arab Emirates, followed by their participation in the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026 in India.
Afghanistan have been drawn in Group D alongside New Zealand, South Africa, United Arab Emirates and Canada.
They will begin their World Cup campaign against the Blackcaps in Chennai on February 8.
Afghanistan Squad for West Indies T20I Series and T20 World Cup 2026:
Rashid Khan (c), Ibrahim Sadran (VC), Rahmanullah Gurbaz (wk), Mohammad Ishaq (wk), Siddullah Atal, Darweesh Rasooli, Shahidullah Kamal, Asmatullah Umarzai, Gulbadin Naib, Mohammad Nabi, Noor Ahmed, Mujeeb Urhal, Mujeeb Urhal- Farooqui and Abdullah Ahmadzai.
Reserves: AM Ghazanfar, Ijaz Ahmadzai and Zia ur Rahman Sharifi.