BBL 2018-19: Mohammad Nabi to miss the knockout games

Ahead of the knockout games in the BBL 2018-19, the Melbourne Renegades have suffered a massive blow. Afghanistan cricketer Mohammad Nabi, who has been a crucial part of their plans thus far, will not feature in the semi-final and final games. In 14 games thus far, Nabi scored 228 runs and played a couple of match-winning knocks as well.

He picked up 8 wickets with the ball at a fairly good economy rate. The all-rounder, who added a great balance to the Renegades, will miss out on the most crucial part of the tournament. Mohammad Nabi will fly to India to join his Afghanistan teammates. The side is all set to play a full-fledged series against Ireland that starts on February 21.

A total of 3 T20I, 5 ODIs and one Test will be played in this series. All the games will be played at the Rajiv Gandhi International Cricket Stadium in Dehradun, which is the adopted home ground for the Afghanistan cricket team. Melbourne Renegades’ coach expressed disappointment about Nabi having to leave Australia.

Mohammad Nabi has been a valuable contributor

“We’re disappointed to lose a player on the eve of the finals series but we understand the rules around international call-ups and know there can be some unpredictability around when players are called into camp,” Renegades coach Andrew McDonald was quoted as saying in Cricbuzz. “Nabi has been a valuable contributor throughout the season and his skills with bat and ball as well as leadership abilities will be missed.”

However, McDonald seemed to be confident about replacing Nabi with another player. He noted that the Renegades have got good depth in their squad. He further added that it gives some other player an opportunity to contribute in the important matches.

“We are proud of the way we have been able to cover the absence of key players throughout the season and we’re confident in the depth of our squad. There is now an exciting opportunity for someone to come into the team and play an important role for us,” he mentioned

Get the latest Cricket News and updates from Big Bash League, Match Predictions, Fantasy Cricket Tips and lots more on CricTracker.com.