Afghanistan has announced their squad for the one-off Test against New Zealand, which begins on Monday in Greater Noida. The team will be captained by Hashmatullah Shahidi, with key players like Ibrahim Zadran, Rahmat Shah, and Azmatullah Omarzai included. Notably absent are star players Rashid Khan, Rahmanullah Gurbaz, and Karim Janat. Rashid Khan, who had a back operation, has been advised to avoid long-format cricket for a year. All-rounder Gulbadin Naib, who was in the preliminary squad, also missed the final cut.
Shahidi has played eight Test matches for Afghanistan, three of which were as captain. The squad is focused on making a strong impact against New Zealand, with key bowling talents like Qais Ahmad and Zahir Khan included.
Afghanistan squad:
- Hashmatullah Shahidi (c)
- Ibrahim Zadran
- Rahmat Shah
- Abdul Malik
- Riaz Hassan
- Afsar Zazai
- Ikram Alikhil
- Baheer Shah Mahboob
- Shahidullah Kamal
- Azmatullah Omarzai
- Shams Ur Rahman
- Zia Ur Rahman Akbar
- Zahir Khan Pakteen
- Qais Ahmad
- Khalil Ahmad
- Nijat Masood
New Zealand, Afghanistan’s opponents, recently announced that former Sri Lankan spinner Rangana Herath will serve as their spin-bowling coach for this match, and former Indian batting coach Vikram Rathour has joined the camp as well.
