Rashid Khan misses out as Afghanistan announce squad for ODI series against Sri Lanka

Afghanistan Cricket Board (ACB) introduced a robust squad for the upcoming ODI series against Sri Lanka on Sunday, February 4. The star bowler Rashid Khan stays out as he fails to recuperate from his again surgical procedure however it is a return for the all-rounder Gulbadin Naib within the 15-member squad.

Rashid hasn’t performed any aggressive cricket since his again surgical procedure after the conclusion of the ICC ODI World Cup 2023. However, he was named within the T20I squad for the India series final month however was later eliminated. Rashid was reportedly tipped to make his return to motion in the course of the upcoming white-ball series against Sri Lanka however the participant stays unavailable.

Qais Ahmad, the 23-year-old legspinner, is a part of the workforce having made his solely ODI look two years in the past. The skilled tempo all-rounder Naib can also be making his return to ODIs after 4 months having final performed within the Asia Cup 2023. 

Meanwhile, there’s a maiden name for the 18-year-old pacer Naveed Zadran. The right-arm pacer took 4 wickets on his Test debut within the ongoing Test match against Afghanistan in Colombo and is now favorite to exchange retired pacer Naveen-ul-Haq. 

“We have consistently striven to secure more bilateral cricket matches and create a busy schedule for our national teams,” ACB CEO Naseeb Khan stated. “This marks our third visit to Sri Lanka in the past 16 months, which is a promising sign moving forward. The selectors have selected a strong line-up and we eagerly anticipate an exciting series ahead.”

Afghanistan ODI Squad: Hashmatullah Shahidi (c), Rahmat Shah (vc), Rahmanullah Gurbaz (wk), Ikram Alikhil (wk), Ibrahim Zadran, Riaz Hassan, Azmatullah Omarzai, Mohammad Nabi, Gulbadin Naib, Qais Ahmad, Noor Ahmad, Mujeeb Ur Rahman, Fazalhaq Farooqi, Naveed Zadran, Farid Ahmad.

Reserves: Sharafuddin Ashraf, Shahidullah, Abdul Rahman, Bilal Sami.

Pallekele International Cricket Stadium will host all three ODIs beginning on February 9 after which each groups will conclude the series with three T20Is at Rangiri Dambulla International Stadium.