NEW DELHI: The Afghanistan Cricket Board (ACB) announced a preliminary squad consisting of 20 players for the upcoming one-off Test match against New Zealand . The match is scheduled to take place from September 9-13 in Greater Noida, India.
The selected players will depart for India on August 28 to participate in a week-long preparation camp in Greater Noida. The selection committee officials stated that the final squad will be announced at the end of the camp considering players' performance and fitness.
Afghanistan suffered a six-wicket defeat in their most recent Test match, which took place in Abu Dhabi against Ireland earlier this year.
"20 players have been selected for the training camp and a 15-member squad will be selected to play the only Test match against New Zealand after observing their performance and fitness," IANS quoted Afghanistan chief selector Ahmad Shah Sulimankhel as saying.
“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,” ACB chairman Mirwais Ashraf said.
Ashraf highlighted the significance of this event, as it marks the first time the two nations will engage in a bilateral cricket series. He believes that the competition between New Zealand, known for their prowess in Test cricket, and Afghanistan's national team will be fierce and captivating.
"It is worth mentioning that before the 9th edition of Shpageeza Cricket League, these players attended a full package preparation camp in Nangarhar province too that carries similar conditions to India," he added.
Afghanistan preliminary squad: 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.
The selected players will depart for India on August 28 to participate in a week-long preparation camp in Greater Noida. The selection committee officials stated that the final squad will be announced at the end of the camp considering players' performance and fitness.
Afghanistan suffered a six-wicket defeat in their most recent Test match, which took place in Abu Dhabi against Ireland earlier this year.
ACB announces preliminary squad before the one-off test against New Zealand
— Afghanistan Cricket Board (@ACBofficials) August 26, 2024
The ACB Selection Committee named a 20-member preliminary Squad for the one-off test match against New Zealand from September 9-13 in Greater Noida, India.
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"20 players have been selected for the training camp and a 15-member squad will be selected to play the only Test match against New Zealand after observing their performance and fitness," IANS quoted Afghanistan chief selector Ahmad Shah Sulimankhel as saying.
“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,” ACB chairman Mirwais Ashraf said.
Ashraf highlighted the significance of this event, as it marks the first time the two nations will engage in a bilateral cricket series. He believes that the competition between New Zealand, known for their prowess in Test cricket, and Afghanistan's national team will be fierce and captivating.
"It is worth mentioning that before the 9th edition of Shpageeza Cricket League, these players attended a full package preparation camp in Nangarhar province too that carries similar conditions to India," he added.
Afghanistan preliminary squad: 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.
