On Monday, August 26, the Afghanistan Cricket Board (ACB) announced a 20-member preliminary squad for the upcoming one-off Test against New Zealand, scheduled from September 9-13 at Greater Noida. The squad was revealed on Twitter, with Hashmatullah Shahidi set to captain the side. Key players like Ibrahim Zadran, Gulbadin Naib, and Azmatullah Omerzai are included in the squad.
Notably, Rashid Khan, who has not played a Test since 2021, remains absent from the Afghanistan squad for red-ball cricket.
Afghanistan’s 20-Member Squad for the New Zealand Test
Hashmatullah Shahidi (captain), Ibrahim Zadran, Riaz Hassan, Abdul Malik, Rahmat Shah, Baheer Shah Mahboob, Ikram Alikhel (wk), Shahidullah Kamal, Gulbadin Naib, Afsar Zazai (wk), Azmatullah Omarzai, Ziaurrahman Akbar, Shamsurrahman, Qais Ahmad, Zahir Khan, Nijat Masoud, Farid Ahmad Malik, Naveed Zadran, Khalil Ahmad, and Yama Arab.
Afghanistan Appoints New Assistant Coach
Afghanistan has recently appointed former India fielding coach R. Sridhar as the assistant coach for the series against New Zealand and South Africa. Sridhar brings experience from his roles with India’s U19 team and Punjab Kings.
New Zealand’s Squad Announcement
New Zealand has also named their squad for the one-off Test, with Tim Southee leading the team.
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