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Afghanistan Cricket Board (ACB) have announced their squads for the upcoming white-ball series against Zimbabwe, featuring three T20Is and as many ODIs, set to take place in Harare from December 9 to 17. Following the white-ball games, the two teams will face off in a two-match Test series starting December 26 in Bulawayo, giving both sides a chance to prepare for the longer format.
Notably, 23-year-old mystery spinner Mujeeb Ur Rahman has fully recovered from his finger injury and is set to return to international cricket.
Mujeeb, who last represented Afghanistan in the T20 World Cup in June, recently made his competitive comeback in the Abu Dhabi T10 2024. His return bolsters Afghanistan’s spin-heavy attack, a key strength of the team.
Zubaid Akbari earns T20I call-up
Top-order batter Zubaid Akbari has been included in Afghanistan’s T20I squad as a replacement for Ibrahim Zadran, who continues to recover from an ankle injury. Akbari has been in fine form, amassing 705 runs in 25 T20 matches at an average of 29.37 and a strike rate of 123.68. His performances in domestic cricket and the ACC Emerging Teams Cup, where Afghanistan emerged champions, impressed the selectors.
“It’s a great feeling to see our frontline spinner, Mujeeb Ur Rahman, recover from his injury and be available for selection. He is an essential member of our squad, and we hope he continues to shine brightly for Afghanistan. Additionally, Zubaid Akbari and Darwish Rasooli have been consistent performers, not only in domestic cricket but also in the recently concluded ACC Emerging Teams Cup. We wish them the very best for the upcoming series,” ACB Interim Chief Selector Ahmad Shah said in his official statement.
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Afghanistan squads for the white-ball series against Zimbabwe
T20I squad
Rashid Khan (c), Rahmanullah Gurbaz (wk), Mohammad Ishaq (wk), Sediqullah Atal, Hazratullah Zazai, Mohammad Nabi, Darwish Rasooli, Zubaid Akbari, Gulbadin Naib, Karim Janat, Azmatullah Omarzai, Nangyal Kharoti, Mujeeb Ur Rahman, Noor Ahmad, Fazal Haq Farooqi, Fareed Ahmad, Naveen Ul Haq.
ODI squad
Hashmatullah Shahidi (c), Rahmat Shah (vc), Rahmanullah Gurbaz (wk), Ikram Alikhil (wk), Abdul Malik, Sediqullah Atal, Darwish Rasooli, Azmatullah Omarzai, Mohammad Nabi, Gulbadin Naib, Rashid Khan, Nangyal Kharoti, AM Ghazanfar, Mujeeb Ur Rahman, Fazal Haq Farooqi, Bilal Sami, Naveed Zadran, Farid Ahmad Malik.
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