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Joining Rashid Khan in the squad are several new faces, as the selection committee looks to induce fresh talent into the lineup.
Rashid Khan. (Picture Credit: Sportzpics)
Star leg-spinner Rashid Khan makes a much-anticipated return to the Test format as the Afghanistan Cricket Board (ACB) announced the squad for the upcoming two-match Test series against Zimbabwe, starting December 26 in Bulawayo.
Joining Rashid in the squad are several new faces, as the selection committee looks to induce fresh talent into the lineup. Notable inclusions in the squad include left-handed top-order batter Sediqullah Atal, who has earned his first Test call-up after representing Afghanistan in ODIs and T20Is. Medium-fast bowling all-rounder Ismat Alam also returns to the Test setup following a stellar performance in the Ahmad Shah Abdali First-Class Competitions, where he amassed 723 runs and took 12 wickets.
Additionally, slow left-arm spinner Zahir Shehzad and left-arm pacer Bashir Ahmad Afghan have been added to the squad. Zahir’s strong domestic performances secured his place, while Bashir impressed with 30 wickets at an average of 17.36 in first-class cricket.
The squad features seven uncapped players, including fast-bowling all-rounder Azmatullah Omarzai, left-arm pacer Fareed Ahmad Malik, and top-order batter Riaz Hassan. All three were part of the squad for Afghanistan’s washed-out Test match against New Zealand but are yet to make their debuts.
ACB’s interim chief selector Ahmad Shah Sulimankhil expressed confidence in the team.
“Rashid Khan’s return to the Test squad is a promising sign for our red-ball game going forward. The rest of the team underwent thorough preparations in Nangarhar province, and we have selected a squad that includes several new faces who performed exceptionally well in the Ahmad Shah Abdali FC Tournament,” he said.
Afghanistan squad for Zimbabwe Tests:
Hashmatullah Shahidi (C), Rahmat Shah (VC), Ikram Alikhail (WK), Afsar Zazai (WK), Riaz Hassan, Sediqullah Atal, Abdul Malik, Baheer Shah Mahboob, Ismat Alam, Azmatullah Omarzai, Zahir Khan, Zia Ur Rehman Akbar, Zahir Shehzad, Rashid Khan, Yamin Ahmadzai, Bashir Ahmad Afghan, Naveed Zadran, and Fareed Ahmad Malik.
Reserves: Nasir Jamal, Zia Ur Rahman Sharifi, and Ibrahim Abdulrahimzai.
- Location :
Kabul, Afghanistan
