Afghanistan have handed maiden call-ups to right-arm quick Naveed Zadran and wicketkeeper-batter Mohammad Ishaq for their maiden and one-off Test against Sri Lanka. Uncapped batter Noor Ali Zadran and left-arm spinner Zia-ur-Rehman were also named in the 16-man squad for the Colombo Test.
Rashid Khan, who continues to recover from the back surgery, wasn’t named in the squad. His injury absence meant all-rounder Qais Ahmad was included in the squad as his replacement.
Squad: Hashmatullah Shahidi (C), Rahmat Shah (VC), Ikram Alikhail (WK), Mohammad Ishaq (WK), Ibrahim Zadran, Noor Ali Zadran, Abdul Malik, Baheer Shah, Nasir Jamal, Qais Ahmad, Zahir Khan, Zia Ur Rehman Akbar, Yamin Ahmadzai, Nijat Masoud, Mohammad Saleem Safi and Naveed Zadran.
“It’s quite pleasing to be playing our first test against Sri Lanka, who have a rich history of playing test-match cricket,” said ACB Chairman Mirwais Ashraf. “The year 2024 is packed with test cricket for us, as we will be playing several test matches during the year. Same as our white-ball lineups, we are committed to strengthening our red-ball cricket and building a formidable test side as well.”
Ahmad Shah Sulimankhil, the newly appointed interim Chief Selector, said: “The team underwent a two-week preparation camp in Nangarhar followed by a 10-day conditioning camp in Abu Dhabi, which featured all the support staff to work with the players and ensure full preparation for the series. We have thoroughly monitored the camps and have picked the squad which includes several new faces who have excelled well during the recent domestic events.”
The Test match will be played at the SSC from February 2.
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