The Afghanistan Cricket Board (ACB) has announced the 15-member squad for the upcoming three-match ODI series against Sri Lanka. Hashmatullah Shahidi will lead Afghanistan, while Rahmat Shah has been named vice-captain of the team. Apart from the 15-member squad, the ACB has also named four reserve players including Sharafuddin Ashraf, Shahidullah Kamal, Abdul Rahman Rahmani and Bilal Sami. The ODI series will begin on February 7, 2024.
Afghanistan spinner Rashid Khan is not included in the squad as he continues to recover from his back injury. The ODI team consists of Naveed Zadran, who made his debut in the Test format and has also been included in the ODI team. Mohammad Saleem has been ruled out of the series due to the hamstring injury he sustained during Day 2 of the only Test against Sri Lanka.
Afghanistan Cricket Board CEO Naseeb Khan, while announcing the team’s ODI squad against Sri Lanka, stated that the board wants to plan more bilateral series to keep the team’s schedule busy. Naseeb added that the current trip is the Afghan team’s third in the last 16 months and believes that the selectors have selected a promising team and an entertaining series awaits the fans.
He said: “We have constantly strived to secure more bilateral cricket matches and create a busy schedule for our national teams. This is our third visit to Sri Lanka in the last 16 months, which is a promising sign for the future. The selectors have selected a strong lineup and we look forward to an exciting series ahead.”
The Afghanistan cricket team has made a big name for itself in international cricket in a very short time. The Afghan team is one of the fastest growing cricket nations in the world and has continued to impress with its performance recently in international cricket. The Afghan team, which started playing cricket in difficult circumstances, is today counted as one of the favorites to take on the best teams tough.
Afghanistan had a great campaign in the recently concluded ODI World Cup 2023. Afghanistan was able to win four out of nine games, which included wins against top-tier teams like Pakistan and England. Afghanistan once came close to defeating Australia and also qualifying for the semi-finals of the tournament. The Afghan team will be considered favorites to qualify for the round of 16 of the 2024 T20 World Cup.
Afghanistan put up decent performances in the three-match T20I series against India earlier this month, and also came very close to winning the third match in Bengaluru. Some of the most demanding players are those who play in different T20 competitions around the world, such as Rashid Khan, Mohammad Nabi, Mujeeb Ur Rahman and many others.
Afghanistan ODI team against Sri Lanka
Hashmatullah Shahidi (C), Rahmat Shah (VC), Rahmanullah Gurbaz (WK), Ikram Alikhil (WK), Ibrahim Zadran, Riaz Hassan, Azmatullah Omarzai, Mohammad Nabi, Gulbadin Naib, Qais Ahmad, Noor Ahmad, Mujeeb Ur Rahman, Fazal Haq Farooqi, Naveed Zadran and Farid Ahmad Malik.
Reserves: Sharafuddin Ashraf, Shahidullah Kamal, Abdul Rahman Rahmani and Bilal Sami