20-member squad for Test against Kiwis named

KABUL (Pajhwok): The Afghanistan Cricket Board (ACB) has announced a 20-member preliminary squad for the one-off Test against New Zealand, scheduled to take place from September 9-13 in Greater Noida, India.

The squad will depart for India on August 28 and will participate in a one-week preparation camp in Greater Noida. The final squad for the Test will be announced at the end of the camp, based on players’ performance and fitness.

Chief Selector Ahmad Shah Sulimankhel said: “We have selected 20 players for the training camp. A 15-member squad will be picked to play the Test match against New Zealand after an assessment of their performance and fitness.”

The preliminary squad includes:

Hashmatullah Shahidi (captain), Ibrahim Zadran, Riaz Hassan, Abdul Malik, Rahmat Shah, Baheer Shah Mahboob, Ikram Alikhel (wk), Shahidullah Kamal, Gulbadin Naib, Afsar Zazai (wk), Azmatullah Omarzai, Ziaurrahman Akbar, Shamsurrahman, Qais Ahmad, Zahir Khan, Nijat Masoud, Farid Ahmad Malik, Naveed Zadran, Khalil Ahmad and Yama Arab.

ACB Chairman Mirwais Ashraf expressed his satisfaction, saying, “I am pleased to see some young players who have excelled in domestic cricket and now have the opportunity to be part of the Test squad.

“The ACB is excited about our first bilateral series with New Zealand, a strong side in Test cricket, and we look forward to a competitive match between the Black Caps and the Afghan Atalan.”

sa/mud