Afghanistan's ODI squad for Sri Lanka series announced, Shahidi named captain

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Afghanistan Cricket Board, on Saturday, announced a 18-member squad to face Sri Lanka in the three-match ODI series.

The matches are slated to take place on November 25, 27 and 30 in Pallekele. Meanwhile, the middle-order batter Hashmatullah Shahidi has been selected to lead the Afghan outfit in the 50-over format. 

Under the leadership of Shahidi, Afghanistan secured a 3-0 clean sweep against Zimbabwe in June this year. 


The all-rounder Gulbadin Naib and spinner Noor Ahmad, who were not part of Zimbabwe tour, mark their presence in the squad for this series. 

Mujeeb Ur Rahman, Rashid Khan and Mohammad Nabi will again have to play a key role against the Islanders. In the top-order, Rahmanullah Gurbaz, Rahmat Shah and Ibrahim Zadran are the top batters for the team. 

After the announcement of the squad, ACB CEO Naseeb Khan hoped that the players will show enough strength in the series to earn qualification for the 2023 World Cup. 

Currently, Afghanistan are at the seventh spot in the ODI Super League table. The top eight teams along with India will directly qualify for the World Cup, while the rest five teams will have to battle it out in the playoffs. 

“The selectors have included some young faces for the series which is a good sign for us leading into the ICC Cricket World Cup next year. The series is vital for us in terms of our qualification for the mega event next year and I am sure the squad carries enough strength to do well when they get to the field”.

Afghanistan Squad for Sri Lanka Series 

Hashmatullah Shahidi (c), Rahmat Shah (vc), Rahmanullah Gurbaz (wk), Azmatullah Omarzai, Farid Malik, Fazal Haq Farooqi, Gulbadin Naib, Ibrahim Zadran, Ikram Alikhail (wicket-keeper), Mohammad Nabi, Mujib ur Rahman, Najibullah Zadran, Noor Ahmad, Rashid Khan, Riaz Hassan, Shahidullah Kamal, Yamin Ahmadzai and Zia ur Rahman Akbar. 

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