The 15-member Afghanistan squad have been announced on Monday (April 22) for the upcoming ICC World Cup; which is scheduled to play fromMay 30 in England. The team is full of talented players like Rashid Khan, Mohammed Nabi, Mujeeb Ur Rahman, who are currently playing for their respective franchises in the ongoing Indian Premier League (IPL). However, the squad announcement came with two big news. Former captain Asghar Afghan and pace bowler Hamid Hassan have been included in the squad while Shapoor Zadran couldn’t find a place.
The 31-year-old pace bowler, Hamid Hassan last featured in the game in 2017 at a senior level. Due to his fitness issues, he was out of the squad since then. However, his inclusion surprised everyone, his fitness remains under inspection.
“Luckily for us, the comeback of senior fast bowler Hamid Hassan is a good news,” the chief selector, Dawlat Khan Ahmadzai, said. “However, we will take into account his form and fitness during upcoming practice matches.”
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On the other hand, Asghar Afghan was sacked as captain earlier this month. However, he has found a place in the squad as well. He will be crucial in the middle-order, along with Rahmat Shah, Hashmatullah Shahidi, Naib and Najibullah Zadran. Along with them, the presence of Mohammed Nabi, Rashid Khan and Samiullah Shinwari will also help them in the lower order.
As far as the opening spots’ concern, Afghanistan have two players – Noor Ali Zadran and Hazratullah Zazai who could open the innings with Mohammad Shahzad. Shahzad has been doing well with the bat and the gloves. However, Javed Ahmadi was left out of the squad who was once in the race. In the bowling, Rashid Khan, Mujeeb ur Rahman and Mohammad Nabi will be there three spin options along with Shinwari and Rahmat Shah as the part-time sinners. Moreover, Zahir Khan, who played only one ODI against Ireland in March, has been out of the team.
“It has been a six-month preparation process for the ICC Cricket World Cup. The mission is to play inspirational cricket in the tournament; I know there are strong teams but we will do our level best to achieve our goals,” told Ahmadzai. “There were some challenges that we needed to handle. We selected the best squad considering factors such as experience, fitness, team balance, current form and conditions.”
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Squad: Gulbadin Naib (c), Mohammad Shahzad (wk), Noor Ali Zadran, Hazratullah Zazai, Rahmat Shah, Asghar Afghan, Hashmatullah Shahidi, Najibullah Zadran, Samiullah Shinwari, Mohammad Nabi, Rashid Khan, Dawlat Zadran, Aftab Alam, Hamid Hassan, Mujeeb Ur Rahman.
