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The Afghanistan Cricket Board (ACB) has unveiled their 16-member squad, led by Hashmatullah Shahidi, for the upcoming one-off Test match against Ireland. Rahmat Shah will serve as the deputy captain for the team. The highly anticipated match is scheduled to take place from February 28 to March 3 at the Tolerance Oval in Abu Dhabi.
Absence of ace spinner Rashid Khan
This encounter will mark a significant event as both teams faced each other previously in a Test match in 2019 at Dehradun, India. In that contest, Afghanistan emerged victorious by seven wickets, thanks to Rashid Khan’s exceptional seven-wicket haul. However, this time, Afghan side will miss the services of their star spinner who is currently recovering from a lower-back surgery.
Emerging talents and squad dynamics of Afghanistan
Despite Rashid’s absence, the team remained optimistic, introducing young talents to the Test format. Rahmanullah Gurbaz, a promising wicketkeeper-batter has been added in the squad, bringing a fresh perspective to the team. Additionally, Khalil Gurbaz, a right-arm leg-spinner with an impressive first-class record, joins the squad to contribute his leg-break bowling skills. Notably, Khalil has taken 40 wickets in 17 innings in the domestic cricket.
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The fast bowler Ibrahim Abdulrahimzai has earned a recall, adding depth to the team’s pace attack. Nevertheless, Yamin Ahmadzai and Mohammad Saleem Safi have been ruled out due to injuries. Afghanistan’s last Test against Sri Lanka ended in defeat by 10 wickets, and the team will be eager to bounce back with a strong performance against Ireland.
Afghanistan squad for the one-off Test against Ireland:
Hashmatullah Shahidi (c), Rahmat Shah (vc), Ikram Alikhail (wk), Rahmanullah Gurbaz (wk), Ibrahim Zadran, Noor Ali Zadran, Abdul Malik, Baheer Shah, Nasir Jamal, Karim Janat, Khalil Gurbaz, Zahir Khan, Zia Ur Rehman Akbar, Nijat Masoud, Ibrahim Abdulrahimzai and Naveed Zadran.
