The Afghanistan Cricket Board (ACB) announced the squad for its first ever bilateral ODI series against South Africa. The three-match ODI series will be hosted by Afghanistan at the Sharjah Cricket Stadium in UAE.
Afghanistan Vs South Africa ODI Series: History In The Making
Hashmatullah Shahidi will lead Afghanistan in the ODI series against South Africa, while Rahmat Shah will act as his deputy. The squad is mostly similar to that of their last one against Ireland, except for few changes.
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Return of Rashid Khan
Star all-rounder Rashid Khan, who has not featured for Afghanistan in an ODI since the 2023 World Cup, makes a return to the squad. Earlier, the leg-spinner had missed the last ODI assignment against Ireland. Khan had undergone a back surgery after last year’s World Cup. He even missed Afghanistan’s series against UAE, India and Sri Lanka.
While Rashid Khan makes a comeback, some other key players are missing from the squad. Afghanistan will have to do without the services for mystery spinner Mujeeb Ur Rahman, who is still recuperating from an injury in the index finger of his right hand.
Missing Names
Top-order batter Ibrahim Zadran also has been ruled out of the series due to an ankle sprain in his left leg. It provides an opportunity to Abdul Malik to prove his mettle with the bat.
Darwish Rasooli stands a chance to make his ODI debut for Afghanistan after receiving a call-up for the squad. The 24-year-old batter has earned seven T20I caps so far. He has displayed consistent performances in the recently held List A Cup and the SCL9.
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New Chapter In the History Of Cricket
Afghanistan will host all games of the three-match ODI series in Sharjah. This will be the first time that Afghanistan and South Africa meet in a bilateral ODI series, outside ICC events. Earlier, both teams have only met at the 2019 and 2023 ODI World Cups.
“Hosting South Africa for the first time in our cricketing history is a huge milestone for Afghanistan Cricket,” ACB CEO Naseeb Khan said. “They are a top-quality side, and playing against them in an ODI series is something we are all excited about.
“Our team has shown great performances in ICC events over the past two-three years, and we are focused on making our team equally competitive in bilateral cricket”, he added.
Squad of Afghanistan Vs South Africa: Hashmatullah Shahidi (C), Rahmat Shah (VC), Rahmanullah Gurbaz (WK), Ikram Alikhil (WK), Abdul Malik, Riaz Hassan, Darwish Rasooli, Azmatullah Omarzai, Mohammad Nabi, Gulbadin Naib, Rashid Khan, Nangyal Kharoti, Allah Mohammad Ghazanfar, Fazal Haq Farooqi, Bilal Sami, Naveed Zadran and Farid Ahmad Malik.
Also Read: Afghanistan vs. New Zealand Test Match Abandoned Due To Rain
Afghanistan Vs South Africa ODI Series Schedule:
Wednesday, 18 September: 1st ODI, Sharjah Cricket Stadium, UAE
Friday, 20 September: 2nd ODI, Sharjah Cricket Stadium, UAE
Sunday, 22 September: 3rd ODI, Sharjah Cricket Stadium, UAE
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