Afghanistan announce preliminary squad for one-off Test against New Zealand

The Afghanistan Cricket Board (ACB) has announced a 20-member preliminary squad for the upcoming one-off Test match against New Zealand.

The historic clash is scheduled to take place from September 9-13 in Greater Noida, India, marking Afghanistan's maiden bilateral event with the Black Caps in the longest format of the game.

The selection committee, led by Chief Selector Ahmad Shah Sulimankhel, has put together a group of experienced players and youngsters, reflecting the country's growing cricket talent pool. ACB Chairman Mirwais Ashraf expressed his confidence in the squad.

“I am happy to see some youngsters in the squad who performed well in domestic cricket and have gotten the opportunity to be part of the test squad for this test match," Ashraf said in a statement. 

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The preliminary squad, led by captain Hashmatullah Shahidi, includes a mix of batters, all-rounders, and bowlers. Notable names such as Ibrahim Zadran, Rahmat Shah, and Gulbadin Naib feature in the lineup, alongside emerging talents like Riaz Hassan and Abdul Malik.

However, the absence of star spinner Rashid Khan has caught attention. ACB spokesperson Sayed Naseem Sadaat explained the decision behind the omission of the star player.

"Rashid was injured recently. He was given three to four weeks rest and although he played a number of Shpageeza T20 matches, for a longer format he is not healthy enough (to take the load)," Sadaat told Cricbuzz.

The squad will depart for India on August 28 for a week-long preparation camp in Greater Noida. During this period, the final 15-member squad will be selected based on performance and fitness assessments.

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Afghanistan preliminary squad for New Zealand one-off Test:

Hashmatullah Shahidi (captain), Ibrahim Zadran, Riaz Hassan, Abdul Malik, Rahmat Shah, Baheer Shah Mahboob, Ikram Alikhel (wk), Shahidullah Kamal, Gulbadin Naib, Afsar Zazai (wk), Azmatullah Omarzai, Ziaurrahman Akbar, Shamsurrahman, Qais Ahmad, Zahir Khan, Nijat Masoud, Farid Ahmad Malik, Naveed Zadran, Khalil Ahmad and Yama Arab.