Afghanistan announces squad for ODIs against Bangladesh

The National Selection Committee of the Afghanistan Cricket Board has announced the squad for the three-match ODI series against Bangladesh, scheduled for November 6-11 at the Sharjah Cricket Stadium in the United Arab Emirates.

The Afghan team will be without their star batsman Ibrahim Zadran, who is currently recovering from recent ankle surgery in England. Additionally, frontline spinner Mujeeb Ur Rahman is also unavailable as he continues to recover from a right phalanx sprain.

In Zadran’s absence, talented left-handed batsman Sediqullah Atal was called up. With six T20I matches to his name, Atal has demonstrated his capabilities through impressive performances in domestic cricket, currently topping the batting charts in the ACC Men’s T20 Emerging Teams Asia Cup 2024.

Noor Ahmad, who missed the previous ODI series against South Africa, has been called up for the matches against Bangladesh. The rest of the squad remains unchanged from the 2-1 ODI series win over South Africa last month in Sharjah.

ACB CEO Mr. Naseeb Khan commented: “The calendar year 2024 has been action-packed and very successful for ACB and the AfghanAtalan lineup, especially in white-ball cricket. ODI cricket has been a top priority for us as it helps prepare the team for the upcoming ICC Champions Trophy.”

He continued, “Playing against Bangladesh has always been challenging and fun. I believe the selected group of players will perform exceptionally well and bring even more glory to our nation.”

ACB Chief Selector Mr. Ahmad Shah Sulimankhil added, “Ibrahim Zadran is currently undergoing rehabilitation and continues to recover from his surgery. Mujeeb Ur Rahman remains unavailable due to ongoing treatment. However, Noor Ahmad is back in the team and included promising batsman Sediqullah Atal, who has always impressed with his performances.”

Afghanistan squad for the three-match ODI series against Bangladesh:

Hashmatullah Shahidi (C), Rahmat Shah (VC), Rahmanullah Gurbaz (WK), Ikram Alikhil (WK), Abdul Malik, Riaz Hassan, Sediqullah Atal, Darwish Rasooli, Azmatullah Omarzai, Mohammad Nabi, Gulbadin Naib, Rashid Khan, Nangyal Kharoti , AM Ghazanfar, Noor Ahmad, Fazal Haq Farooqi, Bilal Sami, Naveed Zadran and Farid Ahmad Malik.