Afghanistan have announced an extended 19-member squad for the upcoming three-match ODI series against Bangladesh, including two uncapped fast bowlers, Saleem Safi and Wafadar Momand.
In addition to Safi and Momand, three other uncapped players have earned their places in the squad for the tour to Bangladesh, featuring three ODIs scheduled for July 5, 8, and 11 in Chittagong. These players are Izharulhaq Naveed (a right-arm leg-spinner), Abdul Rahman (a fast bowling all-rounder) and Zia Ur Rahman Akbar (a left-arm spinner).
Izharulhaq, who was also part of the Afghanistan Test squad, experienced a defeat by a staggering 546 runs against Bangladesh on Saturday but did not appear in the match. Rahman, on the other hand, recently participated in Afghanistan’s ODI tour of Sri Lanka, while Akbar earned his promotion to the squad after being on the reserve bench during the Sri Lanka tour.
Another notable inclusion in the squad is left-arm pacer Sayed Ahmad Shirzad, who previously featured in an ODI game during the 2019 World Cup.
The squad also sees the return of leg-spinner Rashid Khan and left-arm pacer Fazalhaq Farooqi, who have regained their fitness levels and have been included in the ODI squad after being rested for the one-off Test against Bangladesh.
The Afghanistan Cricket Board’s national selection committee, on Sunday evening, confirmed that these players would be joining the upcoming ODI matches and will be part of the World Cup in India, showcasing their skills and representing Afghanistan on the international stage.
“We have selected the best available players for our future programs, including the Bangladesh ODIs next month,” Afghanistan chief selector Asadullah Khan said in his official statement.
“We have strategic plans in place to prepare our team for the upcoming mega events in the next three to four months,” he added. “Therefore, we have chosen a specific number of players alongside backup reserves who will be utilised during this period.”
The three-match ODI series between Bangladesh and Afghanistan will begin on July 5.
Afghanistan ODI squad: Hashmatullah Shahidi (c), Rahmat Shah, Rahmanullah Gurbaz, Ikram Alikhil, Riaz Hassan, Ibrahim Zadran, Najibullah Zadran, Mohammad Nabi, Shahidullah Kamal, Rashid Khan, Azmatullah Omarzai, Mujeeb Ur Rahman, Fazalhaq Farooqi, Zia Ur Rahman Akbar, Izharulhaq Naveed, Abdul Rahman, Wafadar Momand, Saleem Safi, Sayed Ahmad Shirzad.
