Afghanistan Team has announced an 18-member squad on Sunday, August 06 for the upcoming three-match ODI series against Pakistan to be played in Sri Lanka.
On Sunday, August 06, Afghanistan unveiled an 18-member squad for the upcoming three-match ODI series against Pakistan, set to take place in Sri Lanka. Notably, left-arm spinner Noor Ahmad has made a comeback to the team, strengthening their lineup as they fine-tune their combination ahead of the much-anticipated ODI World Cup 2023 in India, commencing on October 05.
While the talented left-arm spinner Zia Ur Rahman Akbar, who recently made his ODI debut against Bangladesh, has been left out of the squad, uncapped leg-spinner Izharulhaq Naveed, who was part of the Test squad, also misses out on this occasion. On a positive note, seamers Mohammad Saleem Safi and Wafadar Momand, who contributed to the recent Bangladesh ODI series, have successfully retained their spots in the squad.
ACB Chief Selector, Asadullah Khan, highlighted the team’s primary focus on preparing for the upcoming Asia Cup and the highly-anticipated World Cup in 2023. The ODI series against Pakistan presents an ideal opportunity for Afghanistan to hone their skills and finalize their team strategy, ensuring they are well-prepared for these significant cricketing events.
“Our whole concentration is to prepare the team for the upcoming two big events of Asia Cup and the World Cup 2023. This three-match ODI series against Pakistan provides us with a wonderful opportunity to prepare the team for the forthcoming two events,” Khan was quoted as saying by the International Cricket Council (ICC).
Khan further revealed that the Afghanistan team will undergo a week-long conditioning camp ahead of the series.
“The preparations for the Pakistan series are progressing well. The players have recently performed well in the Kabul Camp, which has been supervised by ACB’s HPC staff. The team will also undergo a week-long conditioning camp prior to the Pakistan series,” he added.
Afghanistan ODI squad: Hashmatullah Shahidi (C), Rahmanullah Gurbaz, Ikram Alikhil, Ibrahim Zadran, Riaz Hassan, Rahmat Shah, Najibullah Zadran, Mohammad Nabi, Azmatullah Omarzai, Rashid Khan, Noor Ahmad, Mujeeb Ur Rehman, Fazal Haq Farooqi, Abdul Rahman, Mohammad Saleem Safi and Wafadar Momand.
Reserves: Farid Ahmad Malik and Shahidullah Kamal.
