Kabul. Afghanistan has announced its team for the only Test match to be played against New Zealand in India. The team’s star spinner Rashid Khan has been left out of the match to be played in Greater Noida next month. Afghanistan announced a 20-member preliminary team on Sunday. Rahmanullah Gurbaz and Karim Janat have also not been included in the team led by Hasmatullah Shahidi.
This Test will be played from 9 to 13 September, for which Rashid’s non-selection is a surprising decision. He is Afghanistan’s highest wicket-taker in this format. Rashid has taken 34 wickets in five Test matches at an average of 22.35, in which he has taken five wickets four times. Rashid played his last Test for Afghanistan in 2021 against Zimbabwe in Abu Dhabi in which he took 11 wickets. Rashid also bats well and has a half-century to his name in Tests.
Rahmanullah Gurbaz and Karim Janat have also not been included in the team led by Hashmatullah Shahidi. Ibrahim Zadran, Rahmat Shah, Gulbadin Naib and Azmatullah Umarzai are present in this initial team. The Afghanistan Cricket Board (ACB) said that the final 15-member team will be announced at the end of a week-long preparation camp in Greater Noida. The initial team will reach India on August 28.
ACB said in its release, “20 players have been selected for the training camp. A 15-member team will be selected to play the only Test match against New Zealand after looking at their performance and fitness.”
ACB Chairman Mirwaiz Ashraf said, “I am happy to see some young players in the team. Those who have performed well in domestic cricket have got a chance to be a part of the team for this test match.”
Afghanistan’s starting squad is as follows:
Hashmatullah Shahidi (captain), Ibrahim Zadran, Riaz Hasan, Abdul Malik, Rahmat Shah, Baheer Shah Mehboob, Ikram Alikhel (wicketkeeper), Shahidullah Kamal, Gulbadin Naib, Afsar Zazai (wicketkeeper), Azmatullah Umarzai, Ziaur Rahman Akbar, Shamsur Rahman, Qais Ahmed, Zahir Khan, Nijat Masood, Fareed Ahmed Malik, Naveed Zadran, Khalil Ahmed and Yam Arab.
Tags: Afghanistan Cricket, Rashid khan
FIRST PUBLISHED : August 27, 2024, 06:38 IST