Afghanistan, on December 1, has named their ODI and T20I squad for the Zimbabwe tour, which sees the return of Mujeeb Ur Rahman after a long injury layoff.
The Afghanistan cricket team is preparing for an action-packed white-ball trip to Zimbabwe, with intriguing new recruits and the return of a crucial player, as they revealed their lineups for the forthcoming series.
Mujeeb Ur Rahman stole the show when the great spinner returned to the white-ball squads after recovering from a serious right phalanx sprain injury that kept him out of action for several months.
His return is expected to improve Afghanistan’s bowling arsenal when they face Zimbabwe in a three-match T20I and ODI series next week.
Zubaid Akbari and Darwish Rasooli added to the Afghanistan squad for the Zimbabwe tour
Adding to the excitement, teenage top-order star Zubaid Akbari received his first call-up to Afghanistan’s T20I squad. Akbari’s consistency in domestic cricket, as well as his key part in the Afghans’ Emerging Asia Cup victory, ensured his T20I debut.
Darwish Rasooli, who returned to the T20I squad for the Zimbabwe tour after impressive local play and leading the Afghans to the Emerging Asia Cup championship, will join him.
However, the Afghan cricket team will be without Ibrahim Zadran, who is still recovering from ankle surgery. He’s likely to be replaced by Rasooli in the playing XI.
ACB Interim Chief Selector, Ahmad Shah, stated: “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, where Afghanistan claimed the title. We have included both players in the T20I squad and wish them the very best for the upcoming series.”
Zimbabwe and Afghanistan will play three T20I matches on December 11, 13, and 14 before the ODI action kicks off on December 17, 19, and 21 in Harare. The two sides will also clash in a two-match Test series from December 26 in Bulawayo. The final Test will be played from January 2 in Bulawayo.
Here’s Afghanistan’s white-ball squad for the Zimbabwe series:
T20I squad: Rashid Khan (C), Rahmanullah Gurbaz (WK), Mohammad Ishaq (WK), Sediqullah Atal, Hazratullah Zazai, Mohammad Nabi, Azmatullah Omarzai, Nangyal Kharoti, Mujeeb Ur Rahman, Noor Ahmad, Fazal Haq Farooqi, Darwish Rasooli, Zubaid Akbari, Gulbadin Naib, Karim Janat, Fareed Ahmad, and Naveen Ul Haq.
ODI squad: Hashmatullah Shahidi (C), Rahmat Shah (VC), Rahmanullah Gurbaz (WK), Ikram Alikhil (WK), Abdul Malik, Sediqullah Atal, Darwish Rasooli, Mujeeb Ur Rahman, Fazal Haq Farooqi, Azmatullah Omarzai, Mohammad Nabi, Gulbadin Naib, Rashid Khan, Nangyal Kharoti, AM Ghazanfar, Bilal Sami, Naveed Zadran, and Farid Ahmad Malik.
Happy with our white-ball lineups for the Zimbabwe tour!? 🏏
Get all the details about our T20I and ODI squads and learn about the slight schedule adjustment for the upcoming white-ball games here: 👉 https://t.co/raSe3DCF9b#AfghanAtalan | #ZIMvAFG |… pic.twitter.com/GLy3XXBXWr
— Afghanistan Cricket Board (@ACBofficials) December 1, 2024
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