KABUL Test match was unveiled at Dehradun on Wednesday.
Both skippers Asghar Afghan and William Porterfield were present at the trophy unveiling ceremony ahead of the Test match scheduled to get under way in India on March 15.
Located in western Ghor province, the Minerat of Jam has been built of bricks by the king of the time, Sultan Ghiasuddin Ghor, 800 years back.
Asghar Afghan on the occasion said: “It is a moment of pride that Afghanistan hosts its first Test match and it carries a lot of meaning for us. Although, we lost our inaugural Test match to India last year but we will aim to play in the upcoming Test match with full strength.”
Ireland captain William Porterfield said: “First and foremost, it will be completely different conditions [in the Test match] - our first Test match against Pakistan was a home game in Malahide in May whereas we are in Dehradun here in India in March. We will see how the pitch is in the next couple of days and expect it not to be very different.”
Earlier, Afghanistan Cricket Board (ACB) announced the Test squad, calling up left-arm wrist-spinner Zahir Khan and seam bowler Syed Shirzad.
The squad is: Asghar Afghan (capt), Mohammad Shahzad (wk), IhsanullahJanat, JavedAhmadi, Rahmat Shah, Nasir Jamal, HashmatullahShahidi, IkramAlikhail, Mohammad Nabi, Rashid Khan, WafadarMomand, YaminAhmadzai, Sharafudin Ashraf, WaqarSalamkhail, Zahir Khan, SayedShirzad.
sa/ma
