Officials at Major League Cricket (MLC) are optimistic that players from Afghanistan, including stars like Rashid Khan and Noor Ahmad, will complete their contracts for the 2025 season. This comes after US President Donald Trump’s recent travel ban, which is set to commence next week, that impacts nationals from 12 countries, Afghanistan among them.
This new regulation, introduced to “protect the national security and interest of the United States,” fully restricts nationals from Afghanistan, Burma, Chad, the Republic of Congo, Equatorial Guinea, Eritrea, Haiti, Iran, Libya, Somalia, Sudan, and Yemen from entering the United States.
Currently, seven Afghan cricketers hold contracts for the MLC 2025 season. Rashid Khan, Azmatullah Omarzai, and Naveen-ul-Haq are with MI New York; Gulbadin Naib, Fazalhaq Farooqi, and Waqar Salamkheil are associated with Seattle Orcas; while Noor Ahmad represents Texas Super Kings.
Notably, the order comes into effect on Monday, 9 June, at 12.01 am Eastern Time. It includes a clause exempting athletes participating in “major sporting events” as defined by the Secretary of State, Marco Rubio. The phrase gives MLC officials a glimmer of hope that the league might be considered a “major sporting event”, allowing Afghan players to participate without hindrance.
Some players have already managed to secure visas and enter the US, according to ESPNcricinfo, although others are still in the application phase. One franchise representative mentioned they would look into every possibility, including fast-tracking travel before the ban starts. “We will rely heavily on the MLC and relevant authorities for guidance,” the official stated.
Interestingly, the order acknowledges exceptions for the Olympics scheduled to take place in Los Angeles in 2028. Afghanistan, if qualifying, should be able to compete in the men’s T20 cricket event.
The MLC season kicks off on 12 June with last year’s finalists, Washington Freedom and San Francisco, facing off at Oakland Coliseum. The league was contacted for further comments on the unfolding situation.
Additional reporting by Nagraj Gollapudi.
Matt Roller is a senior correspondent at ESPNcricinfo. @mroller98
