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The Afghanistan Cricket Board (ACB) has revealed the men’s squad for the upcoming ODI series against South Africa, set to commence on September 18 in the UAE. The team will see some key changes, with the absence of crucial players like a star batter and talented spinner due to injuries.
Ibrahim Zadran and Mujeeb Ur Rahman unavailable
Afghanistan will miss the services of opener Ibrahim Zadran, who has been ruled out of the series after twisting his ankle ahead of the one-off Test against New Zealand. In his place, the ACB has called up Abdul Malik, a promising young batter who has impressed in domestic List A matches. Star spinner Mujeeb Ur Rahman is also unavailable due to a right phalanx sprain and will be replaced by the talented Allah Mohammad Ghazanfar.
“Mujeeb Ur Rahman continues to recover from his injury and is unavailable for selection. Ibrahim Zadran will also miss the South Africa ODIs for twisting his ankle on the edge of the New Zealand Test. However, we have included some of the top-performing youngsters in Abdul Malik and Darwish Rasooli,” said ACB Chief Selector Ahmad Shah Sulimankhil in an official statement.
Rashid Khan returns
Afghanistan’s squad has been bolstered by the return of ace spinner Rashid Khan, who had missed the previous ODI series against Ireland. His presence will strengthen the bowling attack, which also includes seasoned players like Mohammad Nabi and Fazalhaq Farooqi. The squad remains largely unchanged from the team that played against Ireland, except for the new inclusions of Malik and Darwish Rasooli.
Also READ: Cricket South Africa announces squad for ODI series against Afghanistan
Hashmatullah Shahidi to lead
Captain Hashmatullah Shahidi will once again lead Afghanistan, with Rahmat Shah serving as vice-captain. The three-match ODI series will take place at the iconic Sharjah Cricket Stadium in the UAE, a venue known for producing high-quality contests.
Afghanistan’s ODI squad against South Africa: Hashmatullah Shahidi (c), Rahmat Shah (vc), Rahmanullah Gurbaz (wk), Ikram Alikhil (wk), Abdul Malik, Riaz Hassan, Darwish Rasooli, Azmatullah Omarzai, Mohammad Nabi, Gulbadin Naib, Rashid Khan, Nangyal Kharoti, Allah Mohammad Ghazanfar, Fazal Haq Farooqi, Bilal Sami, Naveed Zadran and Farid Ahmad Malik.
