The Afghanistan Cricket Board has unveiled the 17-player squad set to compete in the imminent 2023 Asia Cup, commencing on August 30.
Hashmatullah Shahidi was named the Afghanistan cricket team captain for the Asia Cup. The squad features Rashid Khan, Rahmanullah Gurbaz, and Mohammad Nabi, aiming for a strong tournament performance.
The team’s batting lineup features Gurbaz, Rahmat Shah, Ibrahim Zadran, Najibullah Zadran, Ikram Akhil, and Gulbdain Naib. Fazalhaq Farooqi, Karim Janat, and Abdul Rahman stand out in the pace bowling department. In contrast, the spin bowling is anchored by Rashid Khan, Mujeeb Ur Rahman, Noor Ahmed, and Mohammad Nabi.
Starting on Wednesday, the tournament holds promise for excitement. Afghanistan aims to draw from lessons learned in the recent 3-match ODI series against Pakistan, which concluded on Saturday with Pakistan winning 3-0.
Afghanistan commences their campaign against Bangladesh at Lahore’s Gaddafi Stadium on September 3.
The 16th edition of this year’s Asia Cup, hosted jointly by Pakistan and Sri Lanka, will feature One Day Internationals (ODIs) among six participating teams. Initially slated for 2021, the tournament was rescheduled to 2023 due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Ariana Television (ATN) will broadcast live coverage of all matches in the Asia Cup beginning at 1:30 p.m. on Wednesday, August 30. Live matches will continue daily until the final on September 17 in Colombo.
Six teams are participating in this year’s tournament, divided into two groups. Group A includes India, Nepal, and Pakistan, while Group B comprises Afghanistan, Sri Lanka, and Bangladesh.
Afghanistan’s Group Stage matches will commence on September 3 in Lahore, Pakistan, facing Bangladesh, followed by a match against Sri Lanka on September 5, also in Lahore.
Afghanistan squad for the Asia Cup 2023
Rahmanullah Gurbaz, Ibrahim Zadran, Rahmat Shah, Riaz Hasan, Hashmatullah Shahidi (C), Mohammad Nabi, Najibullah Zadran, Ikram Akhil, Gulbdain Naib, Rashid Khan, Karim Janat, Abdul Rahman, S Ashraf, Mujeeb Ur Rahman, Noor Ahmad, S Safi, Fazallahq Farooqi.
