Afghanistan announce 17-member squad for 2023 Asia Cup: Details
Afghanistan have named their 17-member squad for the upcoming Asia Cup 2023, which gets underway on August 30. All-rounder Karim Janat, who played his only ODI in February 2017, has returned to the team. Rahmat Shah and Najibullah Zadran have also returned after recovering from injuries. Azmatullah Omarzai, who got injured during the recently-concluded Pakistan ODI series, has been left out. Here is more.
Rahmat, Najibullah recover from injuries
A knee injury ruled Najibullah out of the Pakistan ODI series. Rahmat, who played the series opener, was not match fit for the remaining two games. Meanwhile, Afghanistan have also left out some youngsters from the squad that suffered a 0-3 whitewash against the Men in Green. Shahidullah Kamal, Fareed Ahmed Malik, and Wafadar Momand are the other omissions besides Omarzai.
Here are the key points
Skipper Hashmatullah Shahidi will have the onus to change his side's fortunes. Openers Rahmanullah Gurbaz and Ibrahim Zadran have been among the runs lately. Meanwhile, Rashid Khan, who could claim just three wickets against Pakistan, would be required to put to put up a better show. Fazalhaq Farooqi has retained his place despite a poor show against Pakistan.
A potent spin attack
Nine of the 13 Asia Cup games will be played in Sri Lanka, where spinners are expected to get substantial assistance. With the likes of Mohammad Nabi, Rashid, Mujeeb Ur Rahman, and Noor Ahmad being in the ranks, Afghanistan's spin attack is formidable. However, Hashmatullah's team will also play at least two games in Pakistan, where pacers can be handy.
Afghanistan's squad for the Asia Cup 2023
Squad: Hashmatullah Shahidi (c), Rahmanullah Gurbaz (wk), Ibrahim Zadran, Riaz Hassan, Rahmat Shah, Najibullah Zadran, Mohammad Nabi, Ikram Alikhil, Rashid Khan, Gulbadin Naib, Karim Janat, Abdul Rahman, Sharafuddin Ashraf, Mujeeb Ur Rahman, Noor Ahmad, Mohammad Saleem Safi, Fazalhaq Farooqi.
