• Afghanistan have announced their squad for the upcoming ODI series against Ireland.

  • Star spin duo of Rashid Khan and Mujeeb Ur Rahman will be unavailable.

Afghanistan name 16-member squad for Ireland ODIs; Rashid Khan & Mujeeb Ur Rahman unavailable
Rashid Khan, Mujeeb Ur Rahman to be absent from Afghanistan ODI squad for Ireland series (Image Source: Twitter)

Afghanistan have revealed their 16-member squad for the forthcoming One-Day International (ODI) series against Ireland, set to commence on March 07 in Sharjah. This announcement follows a recent encounter between the two teams in a one-off Test match, where Ireland emerged victorious, marking their maiden triumph in the longest format.

Absence of star spinners

Afghanistan will be deprived of the services of their two key spinners, Rashid Khan and Mujeeb-ur-Rahman, during the impending three-match ODI series. Rashid is sidelined due to a back surgery, while Mujeeb has been recovering from a right phalanx sprain, rendering them unfit for the series scheduled to begin next week.

Inclusion of new faces

Despite the absence of their star spin duo, the Afghan side has introduced three fresh faces into the squad. Left-arm spin bowling all-rounder Nangyal Kharoti, off-spinner Allah Mohammad Ghazanfar – who showcased his skills at the recently-concluded U19 World Cup 2024 – and fast bowler Bilal Sami are set to potentially make their international debut.

“Rashid Khan and Mujeeb Ur Rahman continue to recover from their respective injuries and are unavailable for selection. However, we have included some of the top-performing youngsters in Nangyal Kharoti and Bilal Sami. Allah Mohammad Ghazanfar is a very talented cricketer and has demonstrated excellent skills during the U19 World Cup. He will provide cover for Mujeeb Ur Rahman,” said ACB chief selector Ahmad Shah Sulimankhil in a statement.

Also READ: Twitter reactions – Mark Adair, Andrew Balbirnie shine as Ireland beat Afghanistan in the one-off Test

Leadership and composition

Hashmatullah Shahidi will continue to lead the Afghan side, comprising notable names such as Mohammad Nabi, Rahmanullah Gurbaz, Rahmat Shah, Ibrahim Zadran, Azmatullah Omarzai, Fazal Haq Farooqi, and Gulbadin Naib.

Afghanistan’s ODI squad for Ireland:

Hashmatullah Shahidi (c), Rahmat Shah (vc), Rahmanullah Gurbaz (WK), Ikram Alikhil (wk), Ibrahim Zadran, Riaz Hassan, Azmatullah Omarzai, Mohammad Nabi, Gulbadin Naib, Nangyal Kharoti, Allah Mohammad Ghazanfar, Noor Ahmad, Bilal Sami, Fazal Haq Farooqi, Naveed Zadran and Farid Ahmad Malik.

Also READ: Michael Vaughan picks an England star who can become the next Ravichandran Ashwin

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