Afghanistan announce squad for ODI series against South Africa

Afghanistan has announced a 17-member squad for their upcoming three-match ODI series against South Africa. This will be a historic occasion, as it's the first-ever bilateral series between the two teams. Hashmatullah Shahidi will captain the side, with Rahmat Shah serving as vice-captain.

One of the highlights of the squad is the return of star player Rashid Khan, who missed Afghanistan's last ODI series against Ireland due to injury. Gulbadin Naib and Mohammad Nabi, both experienced campaigners, are also included in the lineup.

However, Afghanistan will be without two key players—top-order batter Ibrahim Zadran, who has been ruled out with an ankle sprain, and Mujeeb Ur Rahman, who is still recovering from a finger injury. This has opened the door for two young talents: Abdul Malik, a promising right-handed batter who recently performed well in domestic competitions, and Darwish Rasooli, a top-order batter with experience in seven T20Is.

Afghanistan's squad is a blend of seasoned players and fresh faces, showing the team's ambition to remain competitive on the international stage.

In a statement, Afghanistan Cricket Board (ACB) CEO Naseeb Khan expressed excitement about hosting South Africa for the first time. 

“Hosting South Africa for the first time in our cricketing history is a huge milestone for Afghanistan Cricket," ACB CEO Mr. Naseeb Khan said. "They are a top-quality side, and playing against them in an ODI series is something we are all excited about.

"Our team has shown great performances in ICC events over the past two-three years, and we are focused on making our team equally competitive in bilateral cricket."

This series marks the first time Afghanistan and South Africa will meet outside of ICC tournaments. All three ODIs will be held at the Sharjah Cricket Stadium in the UAE. The teams last faced each other at the 2024 ICC Men's T20 World Cup, where South Africa comfortably won in the semi-finals.

Afghanistan Squad: Hashmatullah Shahidi (c), Rahmat Shah (vc), Rahmanullah Gurbaz (wk), Ikram Alikhil (wk), Abdul Malik, Riaz Hassan, Darwish Rasooli, Azmatullah Omarzai, Mohammad Nabi, Gulbadin Naib, Rashid Khan, Nangyal Kharoti, Allah Mohammad Ghazanfar, Fazal Haq Farooqi, Bilal Sami, Naveed Zadran and Farid Ahmad Malik.

ODI Series Schedule:

Wednesday, 18 September

1st ODI, Sharjah Cricket Stadium, UAE

Friday, 20 September

2nd ODI, Sharjah Cricket Stadium, UAE

Sunday, 22 September

3rd ODI, Sharjah Cricket Stadium, UAE