Rashid Khan will skip the Big Bash League for a second straight summer, in a hammer blow to both Cricket Australia and the Adelaide Strikers.
Officials confirmed the headline acts for next month’s draft on Monday, with West Indies marquee man Shamar Joseph the biggest new name available.
Hard-hitting Englishmen Alex Hales, Jason Roy, James Vince and Laurie Evans will also be available to clubs, while New Zealand’s Lockie Ferguson is another new face.
But AAP has been told Rashid will not feature, with the hugely-marketable Afghanistan wrist-spinner opting not to nominate for the September 1 draft before Sunday’s deadline.
It is understood the Strikers had been in communication with Rashid’s management before the decision not to play this summer.
Rashid has taken the most wickets of any overseas player in BBL history with 98 in 69 matches for the Strikers, with the previously world top-ranked T20 bowler developing a cult following around the country.
Rashid had previously threatened to boycott the BBL over Australia’s refusal to play Afghanistan in bilateral cricket, which came because of the ruling Taliban’s stance on women’s rights.
Cricket Australia is adamant that is not the reason behind his decision not to miss the BBL, but rather it was due to his busy schedule.
AAP has also been told the organisation has no issue with Rashid’s views, and would welcome the Afghan spinner back to the competition next summer.
Afghanistan are slated to play Zimbabwe in Tests and white-ball matches in December, while Rashid is committed to play in the SA20 in South Africa from January 9.
Fellow Afghan player Mujeeb Ur Rahman is one player who has nominated for the BBL draft, but unlike Rashid, he is not contracted to play in South Africa.
This season’s absence comes after Rashid was ruled out of last summer’s BBL with a back injury, after initially nominating and being retained by the Strikers.
Almost 600 players have nominated for this summer’s BBL and WBBL draft, with clubs able to sign up to four overseas players each.
The likes of Colin Munro, Sam Billings, Tom Curran and Finn Allan have already signed deals with BBL clubs before the draft, under new competition rules.
Meanwhile, Indian star Harmanpreet Kaur has committed to return to the WBBL by nominating via the draft, as has English spinner Sophie Ecclestone.
Heather Knight, Suzie Bates and Shabnim Ismail are among other high-profile women to commit to the draft, with Hayley Matthews, Sophie Devine and Chamari Athapaththu already pre-signed with clubs.
Rashid’s decision not to play in this summer’s BBL came as Australia’s Test captain Pat Cummins indicated on Monday he also would not feature.
Cummins indicated that the short gap between the end of the Border Gavaskar Trophy Test series and a Sri Lanka Test tour would make it difficult for him to play.
BBL officials are banking on some Test stars being available between those series, with Australia’s red-ball batters likely to be available for a touch over a week.
Strikers captain Alex Carey is expected to be announced on a new multi-year deal on Tuesday.
