Afghanistan drop Gulbadin Naib from Test squad against New Zealand
Afghanistan have announced a 16-member squad for the upcoming one-off Test against New Zealand, set to commence on September 9. The team will be led by Hashmatullah Shahidi and includes players like Ibrahim Zadran, Riaz Hassan, Abdul Malik, Rahmat Shah, Baheer Shah Mahboob among others. Notably, Gulbadin Naib did not make the cut despite being part of the initial 20-man preliminary squad.
Naib's exclusion and other team changes
Naib, a seasoned white-ball player for Afghanistan, has yet to make his debut in red-ball cricket. His exclusion from the squad was confirmed after a training camp in Greater Noida. Fast bowler Naveed Zadran will also be absent due to a side strain injury, with no replacement named by the Afghanistan Cricket Board (ACB). The board has advised Zadran to rest for 3-4 weeks before the ODI series against South Africa in UAE.
Other players missing from Afghanistan's Test squad
In addition to Naib and Zadran, Yama Arab and Farid Ahmed Malik were also left out of the squad. The team has chosen Ikram Ali Khil and Afsar Zazai as their two wicketkeeping options for this match. Noor Ali Zadran, who played in the last Test against Ireland earlier this year, announced his international retirement in March and will not be part of the team.
Afghanistan's 10th Test match without captain Rashid Khan
The upcoming Test against New Zealand in Greater Noida will be Afghanistan's 10th in this format. It also marks the first-ever Test between these two teams. However, Afghanistan will be without their captain Rashid Khan, who has been advised by doctors to refrain from participating in the longest format for one year following his back surgery last year.
AFG squad for NZ series
AFG squad for one-off Test vs NZ: Hashmatullah Shahidi (captain), Ibrahim Zadran, Riaz Hassan, Abdul Malik, Rahmat Shah, Baheer Shah Mahboob, Ikram Ali Khil (wk), Shahidullah Kamal, Afsar Zazai (wk), Azmatullah Omarzai, Zia Ur Rahman Akbar, Shams Ur Rahman, Qais Ahmad, Zahir Khan, Nijat Masood, Khalil Ahmad.
