Afghanistan has announced its squad for the three-game ODI series against Sri Lanka on June 2, 4, and 7 in Hambantota. The squad includes uncapped fast pacer Abdul Rahman, who picked up seven wickets in five matches at an economy rate of 5.81 for Hindukush Strikers in the domestic one-day competition in Afghanistan.
The Afghanistan Cricket Board (ACB) said Shahidullah Kamal, Yamin Ahmadzai, Zia Ur Rahman Akbar, and Gulbadin Naib, who were part of the previous ODI tour to Sri Lanka, are now part of the reserves for the upcoming tour. The squad has highly experienced players like Mohammad Nabi and Rashid Khan, as well as captain Hashmatullah Shahidi, Rahmat Shah, Najibullah Zadran, Ibrahim Zadran, Mujeeb Ur Rahman, Noor Ahmad, Rahmanullah Gurbaz, and Fazalhaq Farooqui.
Mirwais Ashraf, Chairman of the ACB, said: “It’s good to have a couple of young faces for the series; the buildup for the ICC Cricket World Cup has already begun, and we are looking for every possible opportunity to build a good combination of the team and prepare them well for the event.” Afghanistan has qualified directly for the 2023 Men’s ODI World Cup to be played in India in October-November this year.
Sri Lanka will be going through the qualifiers in Zimbabwe from June 18 to July 9 and aim to finish in the top two of the competition to make the cut for the global tournament in India. The Afghanistan ODI squad includes Hashmatullah Shahidi (captain), Rahmat Shah (vice-captain), Rahmanullah Gurbaz (wicketkeeper), Ibrahim Zadran, Riaz Hassan, Najibullah Zadran, Mohammad Nabi, Ikram Alikhil (wicketkeeper), Azmatullah Omarzai, Rashid Khan, Mujeeb Ur Rahman, Noor Ahmad, Abdul Rahman, Fazalhaq Farooqi, and Farid Ahmad Malik. Reserves are Gulbadin Naib, Shahidullah Kamal, Yamin Ahmadzai, and Zia Ur Rahman Akbar.
