St Lucia Kings have suffered a major setback in CPL 2026 after Afghanistan left-arm wristspinner Noor Ahmad became unavailable for the remainder of the tournament following the Afghanistan Cricket Board’s decision to revoke his no-objection certificate (NOC).
Noor was part of the Kings squad for the 2026 Caribbean Premier League campaign but will now miss the rest of the competition. The franchise has moved quickly to find a replacement, signing New Zealand batter and wicketkeeper Tim Seifert.
St Lucia Kings confirm Noor Ahmad’s absence
St Lucia Kings confirmed that Noor would no longer be available to represent the franchise for the remainder of CPL 2026.
The franchise expressed its disappointment at losing the Afghanistan spinner and wished him well. The Kings also confirmed that Seifert was travelling to Saint Lucia to join the squad.
It is understood that Noor did not travel to the West Indies for the tournament.
Noor Ahmad’s successful CPL history with St Lucia Kings
Noor has a strong history with the St Lucia franchise. He originally signed with the team, then known as St Lucia Zouks, in 2020 but was unable to make an appearance because of visa issues.
He returned to the franchise in CPL 2024 and played a crucial role in their title-winning campaign. Noor featured in 12 matches and finished as the tournament’s leading wicket-taker with 22 wickets at an impressive economy rate of 6.19.
His absence will therefore leave a significant hole in the Kings’ bowling attack as they continue their campaign in CPL 2026.
Tim Seifert joins after starring in The Hundred
St Lucia Kings have replaced Noor with Tim Seifert, who arrives in the Caribbean after an outstanding campaign with Manchester Super Giants in The Hundred.
Seifert was the second-highest run-scorer in the 2026 men’s Hundred, scoring 394 runs in 10 innings at a remarkable strike rate of 168.37.
The New Zealand international saved one of his best performances for the final, scoring 72 runs from 38 balls to earn Player of the Match honours as Manchester Super Giants defeated Trent Rockets to lift the title.
Seifert has previous CPL experience
Seifert is no stranger to Caribbean cricket. He previously represented Trinbago Knight Riders between 2020 and 2022 and has also played for St Lucia Kings during the previous two CPL seasons.
He was the Kings’ leading batter in CPL 2025, scoring 396 runs in 10 innings at a strike rate of 169.23.
One of his standout performances came against Antigua and Barbuda Falcons, when he smashed an unbeaten 125 from just 53 balls during the league stage.
St Lucia Kings’ CPL 2026 campaign
The Kings have made a competitive start to CPL 2026, winning two of their first four matches. They were sitting third in the standings before their match against Guyana Amazon Warriors on Wednesday night.
While Noor Ahmad’s absence is a blow to their bowling resources, the arrival of Seifert gives St Lucia Kings an experienced T20 batter who has already enjoyed considerable success in the Caribbean.
The Kings will now hope Seifert can continue his excellent recent form and help the franchise push for another deep run in CPL 2026.
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