Afghanistan’s ODI squad for SL series

2024.02.05

Rashid Khan will be replaced by Qais Ahmad, while Naveed Zadran is also called up following an outstanding Test debut.

Afghanistan’s three-match ODI series against Sri Lanka kicks off at Pallekele on February 9; Rashid Khan has not healed in time.

The star spinner for Afghanistan had back surgery late in the previous year, and he hasn’t participated in a major tournament since November of the 2023 ODI World Cup. In Sri Lanka, Qais Ahmad, who has only played one ODI for Afghanistan so far, will take Rashid’s place.

Noor Ahmad, who is a player for the SA20’s Durban Super Giants, will return to the national squad and skip the league’s latter stages.

Abdul Rahman was only named as a reserve, and Najibullah Zadran, a member of Afghanistan’s World Cup team, was left out for the ODI series against Sri Lanka. A hamstring issue kept fast bowler Mohammad Saleem out of action, per an ACB press release.

All-around player Gulbadin Naib was called up to the ODI team after showing off his huge hitting during the most recent T20I series against India. Fareed Ahmad was included in the team of fifteen players. Both participated in the 2023 ODI World Cup as reserve players.

After making an impression in his Test debut against Sri Lanka, seamer Naveed Zadran made his way into the ODI team as well. He has only played six List A matches thus far, taking eight wickets, and he does not have any ODI cricket caps.

“We have consistently striven to secure more bilateral cricket matches and create a busy schedule for our national teams,” Naseeb Khan, CEO of the ACB, stated. “We have now visited Sri Lanka three times in the last sixteen months, which bodes well for the future. We are excited for an intriguing series ahead since the selectors have chosen a quality lineup.”

Pallekele will host all three of the One-Day Internationals before the teams go to Dambulla for the three-match Twenty20 International series. Afghanistan’s first ODI assignment since the World Cup will be this one.

Afghanistan team for the ODI series vs Sri Lanka

Rahmat Shah (vice-captain), Ibrahim Zadran, Riaz Hassan, Azmatullah Omarzai, Mohammad Nabi, Gulbadin Naib, Qais Ahmad, Noor Ahmad, Mujeeb Ur Rahman, Fazalhaq Farooqi, Naveed Zadran, and Farid Ahmad are the members of the Hashmatullah Shahidi team.
Reserves: Bilal Sami, Abdul Rahman, Shahidullah, and Sharafuddin Ashraf

@charith