Afghanistan‘s star all-rounder Rashid Khan has been left out of the preliminary 20-member squad for their upcoming one-off Test against New Zealand. The Test, set to begin on September 9 at the Greater Noida Sports Complex in India, marks a historic moment for Afghanistan as it will be their first-ever meeting with New Zealand in the red-ball format.
Rashid Khan’s exclusion from the Afghanistan Test squad
Rashid, Afghanistan’s leading wicket-taker in international cricket, is a notable absentee from the squad. His exclusion has raised eyebrows, given his immense contribution to Afghanistan’s rise in world cricket. However, Afghanistan Cricket Board (ACB) officials have assured that the squad selection is part of a broader strategy for the future. The Afghanistan side will be led by Hashmatullah Shahidi, with several young players being given a chance to shine in the Test squad. Among the players named are Ibrahim Zadran, Rahmat Shah, and veteran all-rounder Gulbadin Naib.
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Afghanistan Cricket Board chief selector statement
Ahmad Shah Sulimankhel, the Chief Selector of the Afghanistan Cricket Board, explained the rationale behind the preliminary squad’s composition.
“Twenty players have been selected for the training camp, and a 15-member squad will be chosen to play the only Test match against New Zealand after evaluating their performance and fitness,” Sulimankhel said in an official ACB release.
He further said that he was glad to see some young players in the squad who did well in domestic cricket and have now earned the chance to be part of the Test team for this match
“I am happy to see some youngsters in the squad who performed well in domestic cricket and have earned the opportunity to be part of the Test squad for this match,” Sulimankhel concluded.
Afghanistan’s preliminary squad for the one-off Test against New Zealand
Afghanistan: Hashmatullah Shahidi (c), Ibrahim Zadran, Riaz Hassan, Abdul Malik, Rahmat Shah, Baheer Shah Mahboob, Ikram Alikhel (wk), Shahidullah Kamal, Gulbadin Naib, Afsar Zazai (wk), Azmatullah Omarzai, Ziaurrahman Akbar, Shamsurrahman, Qais Ahmad, Zahir Khan, Nijat Masoud, Farid Ahmad Malik, Naveed Zadran, Khalil Ahmad, and Yama Arab.
The final 15-member squad is expected to be announced after a week-long preparatory camp in Greater Noida. The preliminary squad will arrive in India on August 28 to begin their preparations. The Greater Noida Sports Complex, which has previously served as Afghanistan’s adopted home venue for limited-overs cricket, will host its first-ever Test match during this series. In addition to the one-off Test, the series will also feature three One-Day Internationals (ODIs), giving the teams ample opportunity to showcase their skills across formats.