MLC officials hopeful of Afghanistan players' participation after Trump's travel ban

Major League Cricket (MLC) officials hope that Afghanistan players including Rashid Khan and Noor Ahmad will be able to fulfil their contracts for the 2025 season after US president Donald Trump signed a travel ban which will come into effect next week. Trump's proclamation will "fully restrict and limit the entry" into the United States of nationals of 12 countries: Afghanistan, Burma, Chad, Republic of Congo, Equatorial Guinea, Eritrea, Haiti, Iran, Libya, Somalia, Sudan, and Yemen. "Protect the national security and national interest of the United States and its people," he stated, are the goals of the ban. There are seven Afghanistan players under contract for MLC 2025: Rashid, Azmatullah Omarzai and Naveen-ul-Haq (all MI New York); Gulbadin Naib, Fazalhaq Farooqi and Waqar Salamkheil (all Seattle Orcas) and Noor (Texas Super Kings). "Any athlete or member of an athletic team... traveling for the World Cup, Olympics, or other major sporting event as determined by the Secretary of State" is exempt from the ban, which takes effect at 12.01am Eastern Time on Monday, June 9. The order also states: "This proclamation shall apply only to foreign nationals of the designation countries who: (i) are outside the United States on the applicable effective date of this proclamation; and (ii) do not have a valid visa on the applicable effective date of this proclamation." "We're continuing to monitor the situation and are working with the relevant authorities to minimize travel disruptions for overseas players before the start of Major League Cricket next week," a spokesperson for the MLC stated. We continue to attract some of the best players from around the world to come over to the US to showcase their talent, along with the best cricketers from the USA, and we are set to have the most exciting tournament to date this summer." The order specifically mentions the Olympics, which will take place in Los Angeles in 2028, as an event for which athletes will be granted exemptions. Afghanistan should, therefore, be eligible to compete in the men's T20 cricket event at the Games if they qualify. The 2025 MLC season begins on June 12 at the Oakland Coliseum with a rematch of last year's championship match between San Francisco and Washington Freedom.