ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2022: Afghanistan cricket introduces their squad for the upcoming T20 World Cup. Mohammad Nabi will be the captain of his side. The squad consists of 15 members. Eyeing the conditions and the format, a lot of shuffling took place within the squad. The team recently concluded the Asia Cup 2022 in Dubai. They failed to qualify for the Super Four after a nail-biting loss against Pakistan. Afghanistan is placed in the first group of the super 12. Australia, England, and New Zealand are positioned in the same group as well. They will give Afghanistan tough competition.
Mohammad Nabi is all set to lead his side in the tournament. Najibullah Zadran will be his deputy. A few youngsters have received surprise call-ups. Darwish Rasooli returns to the squad post recovering from a finger injury. Qais Ahmed has been added to the squad as well. He is a household name in T20 leagues all around the world.
A few players who featured in the Asia Cup have been axed. Samiullah Shinwari, Hashmatullah Shahidi, Afsar Zazai, Karim Janat, and Noor Ahmad have all been excluded. This level of cutting and chopping in a major ICC tournament raises concerns regarding the stability of the team.
Afghanistan Cricket’s Chief Selector issues a statement
Noor Malikzai, the chief selector of the Afghanistan cricket team, issued a statement. He said that the Asia Cup outing was a good warm-up for the team for the upcoming T20 World Cup. He said,
“The Asia Cup was a very good opportunity. The team has buildup things nicely for the much-important global event in Australia.”
“Fortunately, Darwish Rasooli has recovered from injury. We are happy to have him available for the WT20. He has demonstrated good glimpses of him in the previously held Shpageeza Cricket League 2022. He also offers an additional batting option to our middle order”
“We have picked our best available players for the event,” says Noor Malikzai
He further added that considering the Australian conditions, they have emphasized more good fast bowling options. He said,
“Since the Australian conditions offer further support for the fast bowlers, we have added Salim Safi, the tall right-arm quick. This is to add further impetus to our bowling department. Overall, we have picked our best available players for the event. We are hopeful of them to do well and better represent the country in the mega event.”
Afghanistan Squad for the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2022
Mohammad Nabi (captain), Najibullah Zadran (vice-captain), Rahmanullah Gurbaz (wicket-keeper), Azmatullah Omarzai, Darwish Rasooli, Farid Ahmad Malik, Fazal Haq Farooqi, Hazratullah Zazai, Ibrahim Zadran, Mujeeb ur Rahman, Naveen ul Haq, Qais Ahmad, Rashid Khan, Salim Safi, Usman Ghani
Stand in reserves
Afsar Zazai, Sharafuddin Ashraf, Rahmat Shah, Gulbadin Naib
