Afghanistan name 16-member squad for Ireland ODI series, Rashid-Mujeeb continue to miss out

Afghanistan Cricket Board’s (ACB) National Selection Committee announced a 16-member squad for the upcoming three-match ODI series against Ireland on Friday, March 01. Spin duo Rashid Khan and Mujeeb Ur Rahman once again missed out from the squad as they continue to recover from injuries. Rashid is recovering from his back surgery while Rahman is still not fit to play after he sustained a sprain in his right phalanx (hand) in February.

Apart from them, ACB have also named three fresh faces in the team namely bowling all-rounder Nangyal Kharoti, right-arm off-spinner Allah Mohammad Ghazanfar and right-arm seamer Bilal Sami. Allah Mohammad Ghazanfar was also a part of Afghanistan’s U-19 team in the recently concluded U-19 World Cup in South Africa.

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The 16-year-old scalped eight wickets from four matches in the tournament at an average of 16.75 and also scored 52 runs at a strike rate of 113.04 with a highest score of 37. ACB Chief Selector Ahmad Shah Sulimankhil showed confidence in the youngster to provide a cover for Mujeeb Ur Rahman in the upcoming ODI series.

"Rashid Khan and Mujeeb Ur Rahman continue to recover from their respective injuries and are unavailable for selection. However, we have included some of the top-performing youngsters in Nangyal Kharoti and Bilal Sami. Allah Mohammad Ghazanfar is a very talented cricketer and has demonstrated excellent skills during the U19 World Cup. He will provide cover in Mujeeb Ur Rahman’s in the ODI series against Ireland,” said Shah Sulimankhil in a media release.

Three players have been also added as reserves

Furthermore, in addition to the 16-member lineup, Zia Ur Rahman Akbar, Shahidullah Kamal and Qais Ahmad are also included in the team as reserves. The three-match ODI series against Ireland will begin from Thursday, March 07 Sharjah Cricket Stadium, Sharjah while the remaining two games will be played on March 9 and 12 respectively at the same venue.

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Afghanistan squad for ODI series against Ireland: Hashmatullah Shahidi (C), Rahmat Shah (VC), Rahmanullah Gurbaz (WK), Ikram Alikhil (WK), Ibrahim Zadran, Riaz Hassan, Azmatullah Omarzai, Mohammad Nabi, Gulbadin Naib, Nangyal Kharoti, Allah Mohammad Ghazanfar, Noor Ahmad, Bilal Sami, Fazal Haq Farooqi, Naveed Zadran and Farid Ahmad Malik.