Afghanistan has unveiled their squads for the upcoming tour of Zimbabwe, which is set to begin with a three-match T20I series starting December 11. The team will be bolstered by the return of star spinner Mujeeb Ur Rahman, who had been sidelined with a phalanx sprain since the T20 World Cup earlier this year. Mujeeb has fully recovered and played in the Abu Dhabi T10, making him available for the international tour. His return is seen as a significant boost to the Afghanistan squad, given his vital role in their bowling attack.
In addition to Mujeeb’s return, Afghanistan has called up young left-handed batter Zubaid Akbari for the first time, offering him an opportunity to showcase his talent on the international stage. Akbari’s inclusion reflects the depth and future potential of Afghanistan’s batting lineup. Furthermore, Darwish Rasooli, who played a crucial role in leading Afghanistan to victory at the Emerging Asia Cup, makes his return to the T20I side after an impressive domestic season.
The tour will see Rashid Khan continuing as the captain of the T20I side, while Hashmatullah Shahidi retains his leadership role in the ODI setup. Afghanistan's chief selector, Ahmad Shah, expressed confidence in the squad's depth, highlighting the importance of Mujeeb’s return and the promising young talents in the team, including Akbari and Rasooli. "The selected players are ready for the challenge, and we are looking forward to a successful tour in Zimbabwe," Shah said.
The Afghanistan squad is fresh off a 2-1 ODI series victory over Bangladesh in Sharjah, and the Zimbabwe tour presents another opportunity for them to build on their recent success. The tour will begin with the T20I series in Bulawayo, followed by three ODIs in Harare. After the limited-overs series, Afghanistan will face Zimbabwe in two Test matches in Bulawayo.
The T20I series schedule is as follows:
1st T20I: Wednesday, December 11
2nd T20I: Friday, December 13
3rd T20I: Saturday, December 14
The ODI series will take place after the T20Is:
1st ODI: Tuesday, December 17
2nd ODI: Thursday, December 19
3rd ODI: Saturday, December 21
Finally, the two Test matches are scheduled as:
1st Test: December 26 to December 30
2nd Test: January 2 to January 6
Afghanistan’s squad for the Zimbabwe tour includes both experienced players and exciting new talents. The squad for the T20I series is as follows:
Rashid Khan (captain), Rahmanullah Gurbaz, Mohammad Ishaq, Sediqullah Atal, Hazratullah Zazai, Mohammad Nabi, Darwish Rasooli, Zubaid Akbari, Gulbadin Naib, Karim Janat, Azmatullah Omarzai, Nangyal Kharoti, Mujeeb Ur Rahman, Noor Ahmad, Fazal Haq Farooqi, Fareed Ahmad, Naveen Ul Haq.
For the ODI series, the squad is:
Hashmatullah Shahidi (captain), Rahmat Shah, Rahmanullah Gurbaz, Ikram Alikhil, Abdul Malik, Sediqullah Atal, Darwish Rasooli, Azmatullah Omarzai, Mohammad Nabi, Gulbadin Naib, Rashid Khan, Nangyal Kharoti, AM Ghazanfar, Mujeeb Ur Rahman, Fazal Haq Farooqi, Bilal Sami, Naveed Zadran, Farid Ahmad Malik.
With a mix of seasoned campaigners and promising newcomers, Afghanistan will be looking to continue their strong performances and make an impact in Zimbabwe across all formats.
