Afghanistan have done well in the last few ICC events and will relish their chances of at least reaching the semi-final again this time around.
Afghanistan have announced the squad for the Champions Trophy 2025, which includes some quality names. Ibrahim Zadran returns to the team after being sidelined with an ankle injury, while Sediqullah Atal maintains his place in the team following his recent promotion.
Hashmatullah Shahidi will continue to lead the team, while other common names include Rahmanullah Gurbaz, Rahmat Shah, Gulbadin Naib and Azmatullah Omarzai. The most notable aspect of their team is the quality of the spin attack, which includes some big names like Rashid Khan and Mohammed Nabi.
Rashid Khan
Rashid Khan will lead the spin attack and is among the best white-ball spinners in the world. As of 2023, he has 35 wickets at an average of 26.02 in 23 outings, including a five-wicket haul.
Since Pakistan’s conditions are mostly flat, he must weave his magic and make crucial gains in the middle stretches. He has 7 wickets at 39.14 in six innings against Pakistan and has played two ODIs in Pakistan, picking up two wickets.
Mohamed Nabi
Mohammad Nabi is the most experienced member of the team and will provide control in the middle order. He bowls defensive lines and lengths and can hold off batsmen as he is known for his economical spells.
Since 2023, he has dismissed 28 batsmen at 34.17 runs each and conceded just 4.23 runs per over. Nabi has 7 wickets at 39.57 runs each in eight outings against Pakistan, but has had no wickets in two innings in Pakistan.
Also Read: Why is Naveen-Ul-Haq absent from Afghanistan squad for Champions Trophy 2025?
Noor Ahmed
Among the biggest wicket-takers in white-ball cricket, Noor Ahmad will be one to watch out for in the Champions Trophy 2025. Noor has a variety of variations and can make consistent breakthroughs as teams have not picked him well, even in the international arena.
He does not have much experience in this format, having only played ten games. However, his skills are too high to ignore, even if his numbers are a bit disappointing.
Allah Ghazanfar
Allah Ghazanfar was the story of last year, especially in the 50+ format. In 11 outings, he has 21 wickets at a marvelous average of 13.57 and a strike rate of 20, including two five-wicket hauls.
He has primarily played in utility decks, but has shown experience in delivering regular breakthroughs, making him a solid contender to start in the XI. Ghazanfar could be preferred over Noor if the situation arises of playing three spinners at any time.
Why can the Afghan team kidnap non-Asian teams?
Afghanistan is classified in Group B with Australia, England and South Africa. While these teams have some quality spin players, Afghanistan’s players are skilled enough to wreak havoc as spin is not their opponents’ strong point.
During the 2023 World Cup, they showed how dangerous they can be in subcontinental decks, taking down some quality opponents. The selection of four spinners suggests they have taken their opponents into account.
They will not play any Asian team in the group stage and may once again be a dark horse in the tournament. Afghanistan have done well in the last few ICC events and will relish their chances of at least reaching the semi-final again this time around.
Afghanistan squad for the Champions Trophy 2025
Hashmatullah Shahidi (c), Ibrahim Zadran, Rahmanullah Gurbaz, Sediqullah Atal, Rahmat Shah, Ikram Alikhil, Gulbadin Naib, Azmatullah Omarzai, Mohammad Nabi, Rashid Khan, AM Ghazanfar, Noor Ahmad, Fazalhaq Farooqi, Farid Malik, Naveed Zadran
Reserves: Darwish Rasooli, Nangyal Kharoti, Bilal Sami
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