Afghanistan announces Zimbabwe tour squad

Brandon Moyo, brandonmalvin9@gmail.com

THE Afghanistan Cricket Board (ACB) has named its white-ball squad for the incoming tour of Zimbabwe set to start on December 11 in Harare.

Zimbabwe and Afghanistan will play three one-day internationals (ODIs) and three T20 Internationals (T20Is) at Harare Sports Club.

The teams will then move to Bulawayo for two Test matches, starting on Boxing Day at Queens Sports Club.

The squads for both the T20Is and the ODIs include several seasoned campaigners such as Rashid Khan, Rahmanullah Gurbaz, Hazratullah Zazai, Mohammad Nabi, and Fazal Haq Farooqi, among others.

Promising young left-handed top-order batter Zubaid Akbari has earned his maiden call-up to the T20I squad. Akbari put in some stellar performances during the domestic season and was also a key contributor to Afghanistan’s success at the Emerging Asia Cup.

Darwish Rasooli returns to the T20I side following an impressive domestic season. He also captained the Afghan team to their first title at the ACC Men’s T20 Emerging Asia Cup in Oman earlier this year.

Afghanistan will continue to miss the services of prolific top-order batter Ibrahim Zadran, who is still recovering from ankle surgery he underwent in England. However, frontline spinner Mujeeb Ur Rahman has fully recovered from his right phalanx sprain and has been added to the side for both the T20I and ODIs.

In a statement, ACB CEO, Naseeb Khan, expressed excitement about the upcoming tour, highlighting the longstanding rivalry and enjoyable encounters between the teams in Zimbabwe.

Khan also expressed confidence in the ability of the selected white-ball squad to perform well.

“The calendar year 2024 has been both busy and successful for the Afghanistan Cricket Board (ACB) and the Afghanistan squad, with a packed schedule of home and away games and some remarkable achievements. As part of this action-packed year, the Afghan squad will be touring Zimbabwe for a full series across all formats, which we eagerly anticipate. We look forward to the challenges and opportunities that lie ahead.

“Afghanistan have a rich history of playing in Zimbabwe over the years and have performed exceptionally well there. Playing against Zimbabwe on their home soil is always challenging and brings immense joy. I believe the group of players selected for this series will rise to the occasion and make this tour a memorable one,” said Khan.

ACB interim chief selector Ahmad Shah said they were pleased to welcome back Mujeeb Ur Rahman to the national setup.

“It’s a great feeling to see our frontline spinner, Mujeeb Ur Rahman, recover from his injury and be available for selection. He is an essential member of our squad, and we hope he continues to shine brightly for Afghanistan. Additionally, Zubaid Akbari and Darwish Rasooli have been consistent performers, not only in domestic cricket but also in the recently concluded ACC Emerging Teams Cup, where Afghanistan claimed the title.

“We have included both players in the T20I squad and wish them the very best for the upcoming series,” he said.

Zimbabwe Cricket (ZC) has rescheduled the upcoming white-ball series to make it easier for fans to attend the matches at Harare Sports Club. The changes are aimed at accommodating more spectators by shifting key games to weekends.

The first T20I, initially set for December 9, will now take place on Wednesday, December 11. The other two T20Is have been rescheduled to a weekend, with the matches now being played on Friday, December 13 and Saturday, December 14.

These adjustments have also affected the ODI series, with the first ODI now scheduled for December 17.

The second and third ODIs will follow on December 19, and December 21 respectively.

Originally, the T20Is were slated for December 9, 11, and 12, while the ODIs were set for December 15, 17, and 19. ZC managing director, Givemore Makoni, highlighted the importance of the fixture changes.

“We understand the passion our fans have for the game, and we want to give as many people as possible the chance to experience top-level cricket. Moving key matches to the weekend ensures better access for spectators, enhancing the atmosphere at Harare Sports Club,” he said.

However, the historic Test series between Zimbabwe and Afghanistan remains unchanged. Zimbabwe will host its first Boxing Day Test in 28 years and its inaugural New Year’s home Test match at Queens Sports Club in Bulawayo.

The first Test will run from December 26-30, followed by the second from January 2-6.

Zimbabwe’s last Boxing Day Test on home soil was in 1996, against England, which ended in a rain-affected draw at Harare Sports Club. Since then, they have only participated in Boxing Day Tests abroad, including against New Zealand (2000) and South Africa (2017).