Afghanistan have recalled fit-again batter Ibrahim Zadran to their ICC Champions Trophy squad, amid ongoing calls for teams to boycott matches against them due to the Taliban government’s crackdown on women’s rights since returning to power in 2021.
Opener Zadran has recovered from ankle surgery to make the 15-man squad named by the Afghanistan Cricket Board (ACB) on Sunday.
Right-arm spin bowler Mujeeb Ur Rehman was not included in the lineup as the team management decided against rushing him back into 50-overs cricket after he sprained his hand last year.
Fellow spinner AM Ghaznafar has been drafted in as a like-for-like replacement for Mujeeb. Fast-rising opener Sediqullah Atal also secured a place in the squad.
“Zadran, who was away from action due to an ankle injury, has returned to the squad,” said a statement from the ACB.
“However, Mujeeb Ur Rahman misses out on the selection, as AM Ghazanfar, a similar mystery spinner, has made the cut for the mega event.”
Rahman was left out because “he has been advised by his doctor to focus on T20s for a while to ensure his full recovery”, added acting ACB chief selector Ahmad Suliman Khil.
Afghanistan have made impressive runs at ICC’s world events in recent years – finishing sixth in the 50-over World Cup in 2023 and reaching the semifinal in the T20 World Cup 2024.
This will be the first time Afghanistan participate in the eight-nation Champions Trophy, staged between February 19 and March 9 in Pakistan and the United Arab Emirates.
The country has brought in former Pakistan captain Younis Khan to mentor the side.
“Afghanistan have performed exceptionally well in the past two ICC events,” the chairman of the Afghanistan Cricket Board said in a statement.
“Their impressive performances in these two events coupled with their ODI series victories last year will undoubtedly boost their morale and help them deliver an even better campaign this time,” ACB Chairman Mirwais Ashraf said.
The Hashmatullah Shahidi-led side may be faced with some off-field distractions in Pakistan with Group B rivals England and South Africa being urged to boycott their matches.
Both the England and Wales Cricket Board and Cricket South Africa have ruled out boycotts against Afghanistan in multi-team competitions organised by the governing International Cricket Council (ICC).
They would rather follow a unified and collective approach from all ICC members, the boards said.
Afghanistan begin their campaign against South Africa in Karachi on February 21.
Squad: Hashmatullah Shahidi (captain), Rahmat Shah, Rahmanullah Gurbaz (wicketkeeper), Ikram Alikhil (wicketkeeper), Ibrahim Zadran, Sediqullah Atal, Azmatullah Omarzai, Mohammad Nabi, Gulbadin Naib, Rashid Khan, AM Ghazanfar, Noor Ahmad, Fazal Haq Farooqi, Naveed Zadran, Farid Ahmad Malik
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