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Rashid Khan (Source: Twitter)
The eagerly anticipated comeback of Afghanistan's star all-rounder, Rashid Khan in competitive cricket faces additional delays as the star spinner has opted to withdraw from the upcoming edition of the Pakistan Super League (PSL), which is scheduled to commence on February 17. Rashid’s most recent international match took place on November 10, 2023, during an ODI World Cup match against South Africa.
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Following the conclusion of the prestigious tournament, he underwent lower-back surgery in the UK. Since then, he has been absent from competitive cricket. Despite accompanying the Afghanistan team to India for their three-match T20I series, Rashid Khan was unable to participate due to fitness issues, remaining sidelined throughout the series. The 25-year-old, a member of the Lahore Qalandars for the past three seasons and a titleholder in 2022 and 2023 will not be representing the team as he focuses on his rehabilitation.
The franchise Lahore Qalandars retained Rashid Khan in the 'silver' salary category before December's draft, knowing he was probably unavailable for the upcoming edition but could be retained for future seasons. With Rashid's unavailability now confirmed, the Qalandars have the opportunity to acquire a replacement player in the supplementary and replacement draft, scheduled to be held virtually on Monday, January 29, as confirmed by the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB).
He is such an influential player: Jonathan Trott
Earlier, Rashid Khan also opted to skip not only PSL 2024 but also other franchise tournaments, including the Big Bash League and SA20, following his surgery. Citing the head coach of the Afghanistan cricket team, Jonathan Trott emphasized the importance of not rushing Rashid's comeback. However, as per reports he is expected to get fit by the commencement of the Indian Premier League (IPL).
"It is a case of us making sure that we are really careful with his back. He is such an influential player: we have to make sure he is 100% ready and not rush him back from that type of surgery… when he is ready, he will be the first one to get on the field. He has got a few more appointments and check-ups to make sure everything is OK, so there is no real-time frame. I hope it is sooner rather than later, but there is no pressure and no rush," Trott said as reported by ESPNcricinfo.