Afghanistan announces squad for Bangladesh white-ball series

Published - 20 Sept 2025, 20:44 IST | Updated - 20 Sept 2025, 21:17 IST

The Afghanistan Cricket Board (ACB) named its squads for the upcoming white-ball series against Bangladesh, scheduled to be held in the United Arab Emirates from October 2 to 14. The announcement witnessed notable inclusions and omissions as Afghanistan prepares for a period leading up to the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup next year.

Senior players Fazalhaq Farooqi, Gulbadin Naib, and Karim Janat have missed out on selection in both formats, which led to selectors opting for fresh faces to strengthen the squad. Tall left-arm pacer Bashir Ahmad, who is yet to make his international debut, has been picked in both squads as a like-for-like replacement for Farooqi.

He has featured in 14 T20s so far, taking 12 wickets at an economy of 9.06. Joining him is Wafiullah Tarakhil, who has been named in the T20I squad after a strong Shpageeza Cricket League campaign, where he scored 298 runs in nine innings at an average of 37.25 and a strike rate of 155.20.

Pacer Abdullah Ahmadzai also returns to the T20I side, having been in the reserves for the Asia Cup. Meanwhile, fast bowler Mohammad Saleem Safi made it to the ODI squad, while reserves Bilal Sami and Faridoon Dawoodzai provide additional fast-bowling options.

Spinner AM Ghazanfar has also been included in the ODI squad but relegated to the reserves for the T20I side. In ODIs, the addition of Nangeyalia Kharote alongside Rashid Khan, Mohammad Nabi, and Ghazanfar further bolsters a spin-heavy lineup.

Meanwhile, Hashmatullah Shahidi will continue to captain the ODI team, with Rahmat Shah as his deputy. In the T20I setup, Rashid will be the captain, with Ibrahim Zadran as vice-captain. ACB CEO Naseeb Khan mentioned the importance of the upcoming fixtures after a long gap in Afghanistan’s international schedule:

"After a long six-month break from international cricket following the ICC Champions Trophy, we are now entering a packed season with many T20I games scheduled. This provides the team with an incredible opportunity to prepare for the ICC Men's T20 World Cup next year. The performances in the Asia Cup 2025 were not as expected, but ups and downs are part of the game. As always, we remain hopeful that AfghanAtalan will bounce back strongly and make our nation proud in the upcoming events," ACB CEO Naseeb Khan said in a statement.

Very disappointing loss and a hard one to swallow: Trott

Rashid Khan (capt), Ibrahim Zadran (vice-capt), Rahmanullah Gurbaz (wk), Mohamamad Ishaq (wk), Sediqullah Atal, Wafiullah Tarakhil, Darwish Rasooli, Azmatullah Omarzai, Mohammad Nabi, Sharafuddin Ashraf, Noor Ahmad, Mujeeb Ur Rahman, Bashir Ahmad, Fareed Ahmad Malik, Abdullah Ahmadzai.

Hashmatullah Shahidi (capt), Rahmat Shah (vice-capt), Rahmanullah Gurbaz (wk), Ikram Alikhil (wk), Ibrahim Zadran, Sediqullah Atal, Darwish Rasooli, Azmatullah Omarzai, Mohammad Nabi, Rashid Khan, Nangeyalia Kharote, AM Ghazanfar, Abdullah Ahmadzai, Bashir Ahmad, Mohammad Saleem Safi