Afghanistan name new-look side for one-day series against Pakistan

Afghanistan have named their 17-member squad for the upcoming three-match ODI series against Pakistan. Noor Ahmad, Fazalhaq Farooqi, Abdul Rahman, Shahidullah Kamal and Sediq Atal are five uncapped players named in the limited-overs squad for the series against Pakistan.

On the other hand, wicket-keeper Ikram Ali Khil, Ibrahim Zadran and Karim Janat made their comeback to the ODI side for the three-match series against Pakistan. The selection committee has decided to go for young players for the one-day series.

Experienced players like Gulbadin Naib, Javed Ahmadi, Usman Ghani, Asghar Afghan, Sayed Shirzad and Yamin Ahmadzai have been dropped from the ODI squad for this series.

Uncapped batsman Sediq Atal was rewarded for his good performances in the domestic circuit. He represented Kabul Eagles and scored 114 runs in seven outings. On the other hand, Shahidullah Kamal has scored close to 900 runs in the List A cricket for Mis Ainak Region. He also has played one-Test match for Afghanistan and bowls part-time off-spin.

Fazalhaq Farooqi is another promising pacer who showed excellent form for Afghanistan in the U-19 World Cup played in 2020. He finished the competition with five-wickets to his name. He has played only one T20I game for Afghanistan and was net-bowler for CSK in 2020 Indian Premier League.

Abdul Rahman is another decent bowling all-rounder picked for the ODI series against Pakistan. Left-arm wrist spinner Noor Ahmad has already showcased his potential with the ball in the notable leagues like BBL and PSL. Hashmatullah Shahidi has named new captain of the limited-overs and Test side this month. The limited-overs series was originally scheduled to take place in UAE in September. Given 2021 IPL remainder will be played in UAE, the series between Pakistan and Afghanistan will be played in Sri Lanka.

Afghanistan’s ODI squad for Pakistan series: Hashmatullah Shahidi, Rahmanullah Gurbaz, Ibrahim Zadran, Shahidullah Kamal, Mohammad Nabi, Karim Janat, Rahmat Shah, Rashid Khan, Sediq Atal, Fazalhaq Farooqi, Naveen Ul Haq, Abdul Rehman, Azmat Omarzai, Noor Ahmad, Najibullah Zadran, Mujeeb Ur Rahman and Ikram Ali Khil.