Afghanistan name T20I squad for Bangladesh series
Afghanistan will play three matches ODI and two matches T20 series against Bangladesh with ODI series starting from 5 July.
Crickate
Wafadar Momand, an uncapped fast bowler, has been included in Afghanistan's 16-man T20I squad for the two-match series against Bangladesh. The Afghanistan Cricket Board has also included Mohammad Shahzad, a veteran wicketkeeper-batsman, and Hazratullah Zazai, an opening batter.
Afghanistan's tour of Bangladesh will begin on July 5 with a three-match One-Day International series at the Zahur Ahmed Chowdhury Stadium in Chattogram. The two-match T20I series will commence on July 14 at Sylhet District Stadium, Sylhet, following the conclusion of the ODI series on July 11. The second game of the series will be contested at the same location on July 16.
Asadullah Khan, the chief selector for the Afghanistan Cricket Board (ACB), stated that Mohammad Shahzad, who last played a Twenty20 International against New Zealand in 2021, has been recalled due to his recent performances in domestic cricket. Before finalizing their squad for the 2024 T20 World Cup, which is scheduled to be held in the United States and the West Indies, the selection committee wishes to give each player a fair shot, he added.
"We brought in Shahzad because we believe we should have an offensive batsman as a backup for the opening position, as anything can happen in cricket. Currently, he is the finest option, and he performed exceptionally well in the domestic tournament. Asadullah was quoted by Cricbuzz as saying, "He demonstrates that he is ready for T20Is, and we are beginning the process for the next T20 World Cup. We will observe the players in their typical roles and then make a decision."
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He added that Momand was selected due to his speed, which he demonstrated in camps and domestic cricket."We brought Momand because he has excellent speed, as he has demonstrated in camps and domestic cricket," As stated previously, we are evaluating the players in order to determine the ultimate World Cup squad," he added.
Afsar Zazai, Usman Ghani, Sharafadullah Ashraf and Gubaidin Naib dropped
Afsar Zazai, Usman Ghani, Sharafadullah Ashraf, and erstwhile national captain Gubaidin Naib were all members of the team that faced Pakistan in March 2023, but they have since lost their positions.
"That is not the case (Naib's time has expired owing to old age). As previously stated, Asadullah continued, "we are currently observing different players throughout the matches in order to select a squad for the future."
Afghanistan Squad for T20I series vs Bangladesh: Rashid Khan (capt), Rahmanullah Gurbaz (wk), Ibrahim Zadran, Mohammad Shehzad, Wafadar Momand, Hazratullah Zazai, Sediqullah Atal, Najibullah Zadran, Karim Janat, Mohammad Nabi, Azmatullah Omarzai, Noor Ahmad, Mujeeb Ur Rehman, Fareed Ahmad, Fazalhaq Farooqi and Naveen-ul-Haq
