St Lucia Kings Lose Noor Ahmad for CPL 2026 After ACB Revokes NOC

St Lucia Kings will be without Afghanistan left-arm wristspinner Noor Ahmad for the remainder of the Caribbean Premier League (CPL) 2026 after the Afghanistan Cricket Board (ACB) revoked his no-objection certificate (NOC).

The franchise confirmed Noor's unavailability in a statement, saying the spinner would not join the squad for the remainder of the tournament. It is understood that Noor did not travel to the West Indies.

"Noor will no longer be available to represent the Saint Lucia Kings for the remainder of the tournament," the franchise said. "The franchise is disappointed that Noor will be unable to join the team and wishes him all the best."

The Kings will instead welcome New Zealand batter and wicketkeeper Tim Seifert, who is on his way to Saint Lucia and is expected to strengthen the team's top order.

Noor had originally signed with the franchise, then known as St Lucia Zouks, in 2020 but was unable to play because of visa issues. He returned to the team for CPL 2024 and played a key role in their title-winning campaign.

During the 2024 season, Noor featured in all 12 matches and finished as the tournament's leading wicket-taker with 22 wickets at an economy rate of 6.19.

Seifert arrives in the Caribbean after an impressive campaign with Manchester Super Giants in England's men's Hundred. He finished as the second-highest run-scorer of the season, making 394 runs in 10 innings at a strike rate of 168.37.

The New Zealand international was also named Player of the Match in the Hundred final after scoring an unbeaten 72 off 38 balls to help Manchester Super Giants defeat Trent Rockets.

Seifert is no stranger to the CPL or the Kings. He previously represented Trinbago Knight Riders from 2020 to 2022 and has been part of the St Lucia squad for the past two seasons.

In CPL 2025, Seifert was the Kings' leading run-scorer, making 396 runs in 10 innings at a strike rate of 169.23. His standout performance came against Antigua and Barbuda Falcons, when he smashed an unbeaten 125 off just 53 balls during the league stage.

The Kings have won two of their five matches in CPL 2026 and currently sit fourth in the points table. With Noor unavailable, Seifert's arrival will provide the team with additional batting firepower as they look to strengthen their position in the tournament.