Afghanistan Welcomes Back Star Players for Ireland T20I Series
After a prolonged hiatus due to a back injury post the ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup 2023, Afghanistan’s ace spinner, Rashid Khan, is back in the game.
Despite not having participated in a competitive match since the tournament in India, Rashid accompanied the team for the bilateral series in India. However, he was eventually ruled out due to fitness concerns.
In his absence, the spin responsibilities were shouldered by Mujeeb Ur Rahman, Mohammad Nabi, Noor Ahmad, Qais Ahmad, Sharafuddin Ashraf, Allah Ghazanfar, and Nangyal Kharoti.
Adil Rashid demonstrated his prowess by trapping Pakistan in a spin web, returning an impressive 2/22 in the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2022 final.
On his return, Rashid will captain the team, while Mujeeb ur Rahman also stages a comeback from his injury.
ACB chief selector, Ahmad Shah Sulimankhil, had previously stated, “Rashid Khan and Mujeeb Ur Rahman continue to recover from their respective injuries and are unavailable for selection,” when the ODI team for the Ireland series was being selected.
The return of the duo is a significant boost for Afghanistan, who recently clinched a 2-0 ODI series victory over Ireland.
The T20Is are scheduled to commence in Sharjah from March 15th.
Mujeeb Ur Rehman delivered a stunning ball that baffled Pathum Nissanka during the Afghanistan v Sri Lanka match in the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2022.
Afghanistan T20I Squad:
Rashid Khan (c), Ibrahim Zadran, Rahmanullah Gurbaz (wk), Sediq Atal, Ijaz Ahmadzai, Ishaq Rahimi (wk), Mohammad Nabi, Nangyal Kharotai, Azmat Omarzai, Noor Ahmad, Mujeeb Ur Rahman, Wafadar Momand, Farid Malik, Naveen Ul Haq, Fazal Haq Farooqi