Noor Ahmad, a left-arm wrist-spinner, will miss the rest of the CPL 2026 season for St Lucia Kings. Ahmad’s No Objection Certificate has been revoked by the Afghanistan Cricket Board, making it impossible for him to play in the Caribbean Premier League. Due to Ahmad’s failure to travel to the West Indies, the team had to look for a substitute in the middle of the tournament.
The Kings took swift action to fill the position. Tim Seifert, a wicketkeeper and opening batsman from New Zealand, has been signed to replace Noor Ahmad and is on his way to Saint Lucia to join the team.
After the NOC was revoked, Noor Ahmad was unavailable.
In previous seasons, Noor Ahmad has been a vital member of the Kings. Due to issues with his visa at the time, he was unable to play when he joined the team in 2020. He rejoined the Kings for CPL 2024, making 12 appearances and became the most successful bowler in the competition with 22 wickets at an economy rate of 6.19. That year, the event was won by the Kings.
Tim Seifert steps in as a substitute
Seifert has been playing well lately for the team. With 394 runs at a strike rate of 168.37 across 10 innings, he was the second-highest run scorer in England’s Men’s Hundred in 2026. Seifert scored 72 from 38 balls to help the Manchester Super Giants win the Hundred 2026 final, earning him the title of Player of the Match.
Seifert has played in the Caribbean Premier League before. Before spending the previous two seasons with the St Lucia Kings, he played with the Trinbago Knight Riders from 2020 to 2022. With 396 runs at a strike rate of 169.23 over 10 innings in CPL 2025, Seifert was the Kings’ top run scorer. In a league-stage encounter against the Antigua and Barbuda Falcons, he hit an undefeated 72 from 53 balls, although the Kings did not advance to the championship game that year.
With two victories in five games, St Lucia Kings are presently ranked fourth in the CPL 2026 rankings. As they strive for a better tournament finish, the team will look to Seifert for batting depth and experience.
