Afghanistan has strengthened its squad for the upcoming ODI series against Bangladesh, scheduled in Sharjah from November 6 to 11, by adding opening batter Sediqullah Atal and left-arm wrist-spinner Noor Ahmad. The changes come as Ibrahim Zadran and Mujeeb Ur Rahman remain sidelined due to injuries.
Zadran, recovering from ankle surgery, and Mujeeb, nursing a hand sprain, were unavailable for selection. In their absence, Atal, who has six T20I caps, earns his place after an outstanding run in the Emerging Teams Asia Cup T20 tournament, scoring 52, 95*, and 83. Noor Ahmad makes his return after a phenomenal Caribbean Premier League campaign, where he claimed the Player of the Series award for his 22 wickets for the St Lucia Kings.
Ahmad Shah Sulimankhil, Afghanistan Cricket Board’s chief selector, praised the additions, stating, "Noor Ahmad is back in the squad, and Sediqullah Atal has impressed with consistent top performances. We’re confident they will bring value to the team."
The series serves as a key preparatory step for the Champions Trophy in February 2025. Afghanistan’s previous ODI assignment saw them make history with their first series win against a top-five ICC-ranked team, defeating South Africa in Sharjah.
Afghanistan Squad for Bangladesh ODIs:
Hashmatullah Shahidi (capt), Rahmat Shah (vice-capt), Rahmanullah Gurbaz (wk), Ikram Alikhil (wk), Abdul Malik, Riaz Hassan, Sediqullah Atal, Darwish Rasooli, Azmatullah Omarzai, Mohammad Nabi, Gulbadin Naib, Rashid Khan, Nangyal Kharoti, AM Ghazanfar, Noor Ahmad, Fazalhaq Farooqi, Bilal Sami, Naveed Zadran, Farid Ahmad Malik.
Schedule:
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Nov 6: 1st ODI, Sharjah
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Nov 9: 2nd ODI, Sharjah
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Nov 11: 3rd ODI, Sharjah
Updated on 22nd October, 2024 by MyFortune11