The Afghanistan Cricket Board has unveiled their 15-player squad for their historic first appearance in the ICC Men’s Champions Trophy, with Hashmatullah Shahidi named as captain.

The team enters the competition riding high on their recent success, including strong performances at the 2023 ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup and their impressive semi-final run at the Men’s T20 World Cup last year.

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The squad received a boost with Ibrahim Zadran’s recovery from an ankle injury sustained last year. He’ll form an opening partnership with the aggressive Rahmanullah Gurbaz, followed by Rahmat Shah and captain Shahidi in what appears to be a formidable top order.

On the bowling front, the team will rely on the expertise of premier spinner Rashid Khan, versatile all-rounder Mohammad Nabi, and pace attack leader Fazalhaq Farooqi. However, one significant omission is spinner Mujeeb-Ur-Rahman, who played a crucial role in Afghanistan’s 2023 World Cup campaign.

The board has also designated three reserve players to complement the main 15-member squad.

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Squad

Hashmatullah Shahidi (c), Ibrahim Zadran, Rahmanullah Gurbaz, Mohammad Nabi, Sediqullah Atal, Rahmat Shah, Ikram Alikhil, Gulbadin Naib, Azmatullah Omarzai, Rashid Khan, AM Ghazanfar, Noor Ahmad, Fazalhaq Farooqi, Farid Malik, Naveed Zadran.

Afghanistan’s Group Stage Fixtures

21 February – Afghanistan vs South Africa, Karachi

26 February – Afghanistan vs England, Lahore

28 February – Afghanistan vs Australia, Lahore