Former LSG coach ruled out of 2026 T20 World Cup

Sometimes injuries in cricket happen at the worst possible time. One minute you’re bouncing around T20 leagues, the next you’re staring past a doctor as the World Cup bus leaves without you. Former Lucknow Super Giants pacer Naveen-ul-Haq has become the latest victim of this reality, officially ruled out of the 2026 T20 World Cup as well as Afghanistan’s upcoming T20I series against the West Indies.

According to ESPNcricinfo, the 26-year-old is expected to undergo surgery later this month, ending any chance of a late recovery. The Afghanistan Cricket Board (ACB) is yet to name a replacement, but reserves Allah Ghazanfar, Ijaz Ahmadzai and Zia Ur Rahman Sharifi are already on standby. Naveen’s injury is a major concern for Afghanistan, who do not particularly have another death-bowling specialist at their disposal.

Naveen has not suited up for Afghanistan since December 2024. He has remained busy on the franchise treadmill, playing SA20 and Major League Cricket (MLC) in the United States, but a persistent shoulder problem has set him back. He missed the 2025 Asia Cup for the same reason, returned briefly to ILT20 with MI Emirates, then disappeared again.

Interestingly, the IPL door was also closed to him this season. It entered the 2026 auction with a base price of ₹2 crore, but emerged unsold. Only a few years ago, he was a regular for Lucknow Super Giants (LSG), thriving on his slinging action. Naveen did well for LSG in some games but was released before IPL 2025.

Hard blow for Afghan cricket

Afghanistan still have firepower with Fazalhaq Farooqi, Abdollah Ahmadzai and Ziaur Rahman, but none bring Naveen’s pressing experience. He was the bowler they trusted when matches got tight, especially on the slow tracks of the subcontinent where variations matter more than raw speed. The last time Naveen-ul-Haq played a T20 World Cup (2024), he was simply magnificent. For Afghanistan, who reached the semi-finals for the first time, he took 13 wickets at an economy of 6.00 in 8 innings.

Afghanistan T20 World Cup 2026 squad:

Rashid Khan (c), Noor Ahmad, Abdullah Ahmadzai, Sediqullah Atal, Fazalhaq Farooqi, Rahmanullah Gurbaz, Naveen Ul Haq (excluded)Mohammad Ishaq, Shahidullah Kamal, Mohammad Nabi, Gulbadin Naib, Azmatullah Omarzai, Mujeeb Ur Rahman, Darwish Rasooli, Ibrahim Zadran. Reserves: Allah Ghazanfar, Ijaz Ahmadzai and Zia Ur Rahman Sharifi