Premier leg-spinner Rashid Khan on Sunday made a return to the Afghanistan squad for the three-match ODI series against Bangladesh, starting from July 5 in Chattogram, after being rested for the team’s one-off Test in Mirpur to prioritise his long-term fitness.
Fellow leg-spinner Izharulhaq Naveed, who rose to limelight with an impressive time in last season’s Big Bash League in Australia, has been given a maiden ODI call-up. But there is no place for left-arm wrist-spinner Noor Ahmad, who was in Afghanistan’s squad for the ODI series against Sri Lanka earlier this month.
Other new names in Afghanistan’s ODI squad include Shahidullah, Zia-ur-Rehman, Wafadar Moment, Mohammad Saleem and Sayed Shirzad.
The Afghanistan Cricket Board (ACB) also named 10 players who will be back-up players for the side’s future ODIs and the World Cup, to be held in India in October-November.
The list of ten back-up players comprises of Karim Janat, Qais Ahmad, Gulbadin Naib, Sharafuddin Ashraf, Naveen-ul-Haq, Darwish Rasooli, Zubaid Akbari, Ihsanullah Janat, Farid Malik and Ishaq Rahimi.
Afghanistan will play all the day-night ODI matches against Bangladesh at the Zahur Ahmed Chowdhury Stadium in Chattogram on July 5, 8 and 11. It will be followed by two T20Is between the two teams in Sylhet on July 14 and 16.
Afghanistan squad for Bangladesh ODIs: Hashmatullah Shahidi (captain), Rahmanullah Gurbaz, Ibrahim Zadran, Riaz Hassan, Rahmat Shah, Najibullah Zadran, Mohammad Nabi, Ikram Alikhil, Rashid Khan, Azmatullah Omarzai, Mujeeb Ur Rahman, Fazalhaq Farooqi, Abdul Rahman, Shahidullah, Zia-ur-Rehman, Wafadar Momand, Mohammad Saleem, Sayed Shirzad
Afghanistan Back-up players: Karim Janat, Zubaid Akbari, Qais Ahmad, Ihsanullah Janat, Gulbadin Naib, Sharafuddin Ashraf, Naveen-ul-Haq, Farid Malik, Darwish Rasooli, Ishaq Rahimi
Schedule for the Bangladesh-Afghanistan ODI series:
First ODI, July 5, Chattogram
Second ODI, July 8, Chattogram
Third ODI, July 11, Chattogram
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