ACB announces squads for Bangladesh Test, triangular series

Afghanistan Cricket Board (ACB) on Tuesday announced the squads for the upcoming Test against Bangladesh and T20I triangular series.

Spinner Rashid Khan will lead the team in both the formats. Selectors named 15-member squad for Bangladesh Test and 17-member squad for Afghanistan-Bangladesh-Zimbabwe T20I triangular series.

Chief selector Andy Moles, who was accompanied by a member of selection committee Mujahid Zadran, announced both squads at a press conference held at ACB headquarters in Kabul.

Addressing the press, Moles said, "We have selected a 17-member squad for the T20I matches as per the advice of the Captain as we have two important tournaments; T20I Asia Cup and ICC T20 World Cup 2020 ahead of us. We will seek to prepare good sides for these tournaments and those players who perform well will be considered for selection."

"We will also consider the performance of players in the upcoming Shpageeza Cricket League and Afghanistan Premier League T20 for future selection," he added.

The squad for the only Test against Bangladesh is as follows: Rashid Khan (c), Ihsanullah Janat, Javid Ahmadi, Ibrahim Zadran, Rahmat Shah, Hashmatullah Shahidi, Asghar Afghan, Ikram Alikhil, Mohammad Nabi, Qais Ahmad, Sayed Ahmad Shirzad, Yamin Ahmadzai, Zahir Khan Pakteen, Afsar Zazai and Shapoor Zadran.

The squad for the T20I triangular series is as follows: Rashid Khan (c), Asghar Afghan, Mohammad Nabi, Hazratullah Zazai, Najeeb Tarakai, Rahmanullah Gurbaz, Mujeeb ur Rahman, Shafiqullah Shafaq, Najib Zadran, Shahidullah Kamal, Karim Janat, Gulbadin Naib, Fareed Ahmad Malik, Sharafuddin Ashraf, Fazal Niazai, Dawlat Zadran and Naveen ul Haq.

Ibrahim Zadran, Qais Ahmad, Sayed Ahmad Shirzad, Zahir Khan Pakteen and Shapoor Zadran have not made their Test debuts yet while Rahmanullah Gurbaz, Shahidullah Kamal, Fazal Niazi and Naveen ul Haq are yet to play a T20I.

The Test squad will leave to Abu Dhabi on August 21 to participate in a training camp from August 22 to 29. The team will leave for Bangladesh on August 30 to play the only test against the host nation from September 5.

In the triangular series, Afghanistan will play their first match against Zimbabwe on September 14.