Afghanistan captain Asghar Stanikzai will shortly face an appendix surgery in Zimbabwe. According to the doctors’ advice, Stanikzai will be able to play cricket after 10 days. It means that Stanikzai will be not available in the initial stage of 2018 ICC World Cup Qualifiers and Afghanistan Cricket Board (ACB) decided that the vice-captain Rashid Khan will take the charge of the national team for that period.

In a press release, ACB provided a statement, “Afghanistan captain, Asghar Stanikzai, has been diagnosed with appendicitis and will shortly undergo a surgery in a local hospital in Zimbabwe. The doctors have advised that he will be able to return to cricket in approximately 10 days. Current vice-captain Rashid Khan will lead the team in his absence.”

The 2018 ICC Cricket World Cup Qualifiers will be played in Zimbabwe from 4th March to 25th March. Total 10 teams will participate in this tournament and the teams are the hosts Zimbabwe, Afghanistan, Windies, Ireland, Netherlands, Scotland, Hong Kong, Papua New Guinea (PNG), Nepal and United Arab Emirates (UAE). All the teams will fight for the last two spots of the 2019 ICC Cricket World Cup.

Afghanistan is seeded in Group B along with Hong Kong, Nepal, Scotland and the hosts Zimbabwe.

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Afghanistan will play their first group stage match against Scotland on 4^th March in Bulawayo. Rashid Khan will lead the Afghanistan team in that match whose age will be only 19 years and 165 days at that time.

It means that Rashid Khan will create a new record by becoming the youngest captain in the international cricket history. At the following, we are showing the list of the youngest captains in different international cricket formats.

Youngest captains in different international cricket formats

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Stanikzai is expected to take the charge of the national team from the 10^th March when they will play against Nepal. It means that Rashid Khan will get another chance to lead the side as they have to play against Zimbabwe and Hong Kong on 6^th and 8^th March respectively.

Afghanistan’s group stage schedules of 2018 ICC Cricket World Cup Qualifiers