Rashid Khan appointed as the stand-in skipper of Afghanistan for World Cup Qualifiers

Afghanistan Cricket Board (ACB) has appointed Rashid Khan as the stand-in skipper of the team for the upcoming World Cup Qualifiers starting on March 4. The regular captain Asghar Stanikzai will undergo the surgery to his appendix in a local hospital in Zimbabwe. He might miss the first few games of the tournament which will be a severe jolt to the team who are aiming to play the World Cup next year in England. However, this is a great opportunity for the young leggie, Rashid, to lead the side in the absence of Stanikzai.

This is yet another honour for the 19-year-old after he was recently crowned as the World No. 1 bowler in the ODI and T20I format. He will become the youngest captain ever to lead the side at the international level when he will take the field in the first match of the tournament for Afghanistan.

Stanikzai to return after 10 days

According to the press release of ACB, Asghar Stanikzai will be out of the cricketing action for next 10 days. He is most likely to return to the team once he gets fit during the tournament. “Afghanistan captain, Asghar Stanikzai, has been diagnosed with appendicitis and will shortly undergo a surgery in a local hospital in Zimbabwe. The doctors have advised that he will be able to return to cricket in approximately 10 days. Current vice-captain Rashid Khan will lead the team in his absence,” the statement read.

Afghanistan will play their first game against Scotland on March 4 in Bulawayo after which they will face the hosts Zimbabwe a couple of days later at the same venue. Stanikzai is likely to make a comeback after these games as they are scheduled to play their next match against Nepal on March 10.

However, the warm-up matches are scheduled for all the participating teams before the tournament commences. Afghanistan is scheduled to play warm-up matches against West Indies and Netherlands on 27th February and 1st March respectively.

Keep following CricTracker for more news and updates.