Afghanistan announce squad for crucial T20I tri-series ahead of Asia Cup campaign

Afghanistan announce squad for crucial T20I tri-series ahead of Asia Cup campaign Afghanistan will face Pakistan and UAE in a T20I tri-series in Sharjah starting Friday, ahead of the Asia Cup. With a near-identical squad, debutant hopefuls like AM Ghazanfar and Abdollah Ahmadzai join the lineup, while Ibrahim Zadran returns to the side.

Sharjah:

Ahead of the marquee Asia Cup, Afghanistan will play a T20I tri-series in Sharjah against Pakistan and UAE. The three-nation tournament will begin on Friday, August 29, with Afghanistan taking on Pakistan in the opening fixture.

The Afghanistan Cricket Board (ACB) has named a largely unchanged 17-member squad from their Asia Cup contingent, with only fast bowler Naveen-ul-Haq missing from the tri-series lineup. In his place, 22-year-old Abdollah Ahmadzai has been included. Although Ahmadzai has picked up 14 wickets in 10 domestic T20 matches, he is yet to make his international debut and has been named among the reserves for the Asia Cup.

Among the most notable selections is 16-year-old mystery spinner AM Ghazanfar, who could be handed his T20I debut in this series. He joins a seasoned spin unit that includes captain Rashid Khan, Mohammad Nabi, Mujeeb Ur Rahman, and Noor Ahmad, reinforcing Afghanistan’s traditional strength in slow bowling.

The tri-series also marks the return of opening batter Ibrahim Zadran, who last featured in the format during the 2024 T20 World Cup. He was absent from Afghanistan's previous T20I assignment against Zimbabwe in December last year. From that squad, left-arm spinner Nangeyalia Kharote has been excluded from the main group but remains in the Asia Cup reserves.

This series will be Afghanistan’s first white-ball action since the conclusion of the Champions Trophy in February 2025, offering valuable game time before their Asia Cup opener against Hong Kong on September 9. The tri-series follows a round-robin format, with the top two teams advancing to the final on September 7, which is just two days before Afghanistan begins their Asia Cup campaign.

The tight scheduling means Afghanistan could head into the Asia Cup with limited recovery time, depending on their progress in Sharjah. Pakistan open their Asia Cup campaign on September 12, while UAE play their first match on September 10.

Afghanistan Squad for UAE Tri-Series:

Rashid Khan (c), Rahmanullah Gurbaz (wk), Ibrahim Zadran, Darwish Rasooli, Sediqullah Atal, Azmatullah Omarzai, Karim Janat, Mohammad Nabi, Gulbadin Naib, Sharafuddin Ashraf, Mohammad Ishaq, Mujeeb Ur Rahman, AM Ghazanfar, Noor Ahmad, Fareed Ahmad, Abdollah Ahmadzai, Fazalhaq Farooqi

Click here to read article