St Lucia Kings lose Noor Ahmad for CPL 2026 after ACB revokes his NOC

St Lucia Kings face a major reshuffle in their CPL 2026 title defense following the sudden withdrawal of star spinner Noor Ahmad. The Afghanistan Cricket Board (ACB) revoked the left-arm wristspinner's No-Objection Certificate (NOC), ruling him out of the tournament before he could board a flight to the West Indies. The loss of Noor is a massive blow to the Kings' bowling attack. During their championship-winning CPL 2024 campaign, the Afghan sensation was the standout performer, topping the wickets chart with 22 scalps across 12 matches while maintaining an exceptional economy rate of 6.19. Seifert Steps In as Replacement To fill the void, St Lucia Kings acted swiftly by bringing back kiwi powerhouse Tim Seifert. The New Zealand keeper-batter arrives in peak form, fresh off a dominant run in England's The Hundred, where he led the Manchester Super Giants to the men's title. Seifert finished as the tournament's second-highest run-scorer with 394 runs in 10 innings at a blistering strike rate of 168.37, capping off the campaign with a Player of the Match performance (72 off 38 balls) in the final against Trent Rockets. A Familiar Face in St Lucia Seifert is no stranger to the Kings' setup. Having previously played for Trinbago Knight Riders, Seifert spent the last two seasons with St Lucia and proved to be their premier batter in 2025, racking up 396 runs at a strike rate of 169.23. His standout moment came against the Antigua and Barbuda Falcons, where he blasted a spectacular 125 not out off just 53 balls. Current CPL 2026 Standings With Noor's departure shifting the team's tactical dynamic toward extra batting firepower, the Kings will be relying heavily on Seifert to spark momentum. St Lucia Kings currently sit fourth in the CPL 2026 standings after winning two of their opening five matches.