Opening batsman Mohammad Shahzad has been banned by the Afghanistan Cricket Board (ACB) for an indefinite period due to breach of the board’s Code of Conduct.

The 32-year-old was seen training at a local stadium in Peshawar, Pakistan, which is believed to be the major reason behind the decision.   

As per ACB’s policies, any player travelling out of the country is required to seek the permission of ACB but Shahzad has not adhered to this, repetitively.

“Shahzad has also breached the ACB Code of Conduct previously and was recently called for questioning by the ACB Discipline Committee in relation to a disciplinary matter during the ICC Cricket World Cup 2019,” ACB said in an official statement. “He did not attend meetings scheduled with the Discipline Committee on 20th and 25th of the last month. The Discipline Committee will meet after Eidul Adha holidays to assess the breaches by the wicketkeeper-batsman and make a decision.”

Shahzad threatens to quit cricket after World Cup axing

The ACB also believes that local players don’t need to travel abroad for training as they are adequate facilities available in Afghanistan.

“ACB has well-equipped training and practice facilities within the country and Afghan players do not require to travel abroad for such purposes,” the statement concluded.  

Earlier Shahzad had threatened to quit cricket after being declared unfit for the remainder of the 2019 World Cup by the Afghanistan Cricket Board (ACB).

The opening batsman and wicketkeeper played in Afghanistan's the first two matches but the ACB cut him from the squad saying his knee injury would not allow him to play any further part in the tournament. Although the right-handed batsman stated that medical advice he had received said he would have been fit to play in a few of days after having his knee drained.