Afghanistan squad released for the white-ball series against Bangladesh, set to be hosted in the UAE. The series will comprise both One-Day International (ODI) and Twenty20 International (T20I) format games. With a number of major omissions as well as inclusions, the Afghanistan squad looks to recover following a poor Asia Cup performance.
Key Players Left Out of Afghanistan Squad
The Afghanistan team has witnessed the omission of a few major players like left-arm seamer Fazalhaq Farooqi, all-rounder Gulbadin Naib, and Karim Janat. These omissions have been based on an alteration in Afghanistan’s strategy prior to the series against Bangladesh.
Inclusions and Replacements in Afghanistan’s White-Ball Squads
Bashir Ahmad: The promising left-arm seamer Bashir Ahmad, only 20 years of age, has been added as a direct replacement for Farooqi in both the ODI and T20I teams. Bashir is an uncapped international player but has impressed with his T20 showings, taking 12 wickets from 14 games at the economy rate of 9.06.
Wafiullah Tarakhil: Promising 18-year-old top-order batsman Wafiullah Tarakhil has been picked for the T20I team. Tarakhil impressed in the Shpageeza Cricket League recently, where he made 298 runs in 9 matches at an average of 37.25 and a strike rate of 155.20. He hasn’t played any international cricket yet but will be prominently featured in the T20 series.
Abdullah Ahmadzai: Abdullah Ahmadzai, a reserve player from Afghanistan during the Asia Cup, gets his place back in the top T20I team. His return makes Afghanistan’s bowling division stronger.
AM Ghazanfar’s Role in Afghanistan Squad
AM Ghazanfar, the enigma of a spinner, has found a spot in Afghanistan’s regular ODI side but has been moved to the reserves for the T20I series. This is a reflection of Afghanistan’s desire to strengthen their spin department, with plenty of talent available in this department.
Spin Dominance in Afghanistan’s Squad
Afghanistan’s white-ball teams are acknowledged for their spin depth with top players Rashid Khan, Noor Ahmad, Mujeeb Ur Rahman and Mohammad Nabi contributing depth and experience. One can expect the spinners to play a crucial role in the UAE series as the wider Abu Dhabi and Sharjah conditions have generally been useful for slower bowlers.
Afghanistan’s Leadership for the Series
Hashmatullah Shahidi will remain captain of the ODI team, and Rashid Khan will be captain of the T20I team. The leadership of Afghanistan remains settled, even in the face of recent setbacks.
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Afghanistan T20I Series Team
Captain: Rashid Khan
Vice-captain: Ibrahim Zadran
Batsmen: Rahmanullah Gurbaz (wk), Mohammad Ishaq (wk), Sediqullah Atal, Wafiullah Tarakhil, Darwish Rasooli
Allrounders: Azmatullah Omarzai, Mohammad Nabi, Sharafuddin Ashraf
Bowlers: Noor Ahmad, Mujeeb Ur Rahman, Bashir Ahmad, Fareed Ahmad Malik, Abdullah Ahmadzai
Reserves: AM Ghazanfar, Rahmat Shah
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Afghanistan ODI Squad for the Series
Captain: Hashmatullah Shahidi
Vice-captain: Rahmat Shah
Batsmen: Rahmanullah Gurbaz (wk), Ikram Alikhil (wk), Ibrahim Zadran, Sediqullah Atal, Darwish Rasooli
Allrounders: Azmatullah Omarzai, Mohammad Nabi, Rashid Khan
Bowlers: Nangeyalia Kharote, AM Ghazanfar, Abdullah Ahmadzai, Bashir Ahmad, Mohammad Saleem Safi
Reserves: Bilal Sami, Faridoon Dawoodzai
Series Schedule and Venue
Three T20I games and three ODI matches are part of the T20I and ODI series. The T20Is will be held at Sharjah Cricket Stadium on October 2, 3, and 5, while the ODI series will be played from October 8 to October 14 at the Abu Dhabi Cricket Ground. These matches form vivid part of Afghanistan’s preparation to the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2024.
Looking Ahead to the Future
Even though Afghanistan’s Asia Cup was lackluster, as the team could not advance past the league stage, the mood within the team is positive. Naseeb Khan, CEO of Afghanistan Cricket Board (ACB), sounded confident that the side could bounce back for their next white-ball series.
Afghanistan’s enlistment of young prospects like Bashir Ahmad and Wafiullah Tarakhil certainly reinforces an emphasis on structural building for the future, leading up to the T20 World Cup and other international competitions. The strength of their spin attack paired with their young talent makes them one to watch in the coming months.
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