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Injury blow for Afghanistan; Mohammad Saleem ruled out of Bangladesh ODI series

Rajgeeta Yadav

Afghanistan team [Source: @Bjsports_OFC/X.com]Afghanistan team [Source: @Bjsports_OFC/X.com]

Hashmatullah Shahidi's Afghanistan has suffered a setback ahead of their One Day International (ODI) series against Bangladesh, as their fast bowler Mohammad Saleem has been ruled out due to a groin injury. 

The 23-year-old right-arm pacer developed what doctors described as an “adductor overload,” a muscle strain near the thigh area, which will keep him out of action for some time.

AFG team's physio confirms Saleem's unavailability

According to the Afghanistan Cricket Board (ACB), Saleem will begin his recovery at their High Performance Center, where he’ll undergo rehabilitation until he’s fully fit to play again. 

It is important to note that the team’s physio has confirmed that Saleem won’t be ready for the first match, scheduled for Wednesday, and most likely won’t take part in the entire series.

To fill the gap, Afghanistan has called up 21-year-old medium-fast bowler Bilal Sami to join the squad. Notably, Sami has played just one ODI match for Afghanistan so far, making his debut against Zimbabwe in December 2024. 

He also represented Afghanistan’s Under-19 team at the 2022 World Cup and recently performed well in the country’s domestic one-day tournament, where he took 10 wickets.

Saleem has played two ODIs in his career, both against Bangladesh in July 2023, and one Test match earlier this year against Sri Lanka. His absence will be felt, as Afghanistan looks to bounce back after losing the recent T20 series to Bangladesh 3-0.

The upcoming three-match ODI series will take place entirely at the Sheikh Zayed Cricket Stadium in Abu Dhabi on October 8, 11, and 14. The team, led by captain Hashmatullah Shahidi, will hope for a better performance in the 50-over format.

Afghanistan updated ODI squad:

Hashmatullah Shahidi (c), Rahmat Shah (vc), Rahmanullah Gurbaz (wk), Ikram Alikhil (wk), Ibrahim Zadran, Sediqullah Atal, Darwish Rasooli, Azmatullah Omarzai, Mohammad Nabi, Rashid Khan, Nangeyalia Kharote, AM Ghazanfar, Abdullah Ahmadzai, Bashir Ahmad, and Bilal Sami