Naveen returns to Afghanistan’s World Cup squad

KABUL (Pajhwok): The Afghanistan Cricket Board (ACB) has announced a 15-member squad for the ICC Men’s World Cup, scheduled to commence next month in India.

Led by Hashmatullah Shahidi, the team has four changes from the one that played at the Asia Cup. The likes of Karim Janat, Sharafuddin Ashraf and Suliman Safi also miss out aside from Naib, ICC reported.

Azmatullah Omarzai returns from an injury that sidelined him from the Asia Cup while Naveen, who last played a List A game in 2021, also comes back into the squad.

Naveen has played only seven ODIs to date, taking 14 wickets at an average of 25.42. Janat, who was recalled for the Asia Cup after a six-year gap from ODI cricket, has been dropped.

Naib, meanwhile, shone on his ODI comeback in the Pakistan series with the wickets of the openers in the third and final ODI and later took a four-wicket haul against Sri Lanka in the Asia Cup, but found himself out of the playing 11.

The rest of the squad has a familiar look with the spin department stocked with some outstanding talent. Aside from senior spinners Rashid Khan and Mohammad Nabi, the squad also features Mujeeb ur Rahman and Noor Ahmad.

The pace attack is bolstered by the return of Naveen, and also has Fazalhaq Farooqi, Abdul Rahman and Omarzai.

Squad:

Hashmatullah Shahidi (c), RahmanullahGurbaz, Ibrahim Zadran, Riaz Hassan, Rahmat Shah, Najibullah Zadran, Mohammad Nabi, Ikram Alikhil, Azmatullah Omarzai, Rashid Khan, Mujeeb ur Rahman, Noor Ahmad, Fazalhaq Farooqi, Abdul Rahman, Naveen-ul-Haq.

Reserve Players:

Gulbadin Naib, Sharafuddin Ashraf and Farid Ahmad Malik

sa/mud