Afghanistan reveal 16-member squad for New Zealand Test

The Afghanistan Cricket Board (ACB) announced the 16-member squad for the only Test against New Zealand in India. Three uncapped players have been included in the Afghanistan squad. 

The Afghanistan vs New Zealand Test will be played at Shaheed Vijay Singh Pathik Sports Complex, Greater Noida, from September 9. It will be a five-day Test match.

Opener Riaz Hassan, allrounder Shams Ur Rahman, and fast bowler Khalil Ahmed are the new Afghan faces in the 16-member Afghanistan squad. Hashmatullah Shahidi will continue to lead the Test team.

As injured Rashid Khan is absent, Zahir Khan and Zia-ur-Rehman will handle the Afghan spin bowling attack. 

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Four Afghanistan players are excluded from the 20-member preliminary squad

Among the 20-member preliminary squad, which was announced last month, fast bowler Naveed Zadran, experienced all-rounder Gulbadin Naib, left-arm pacer Fareed Ahmed, and uncapped 17-year-old Yama Arab have been excluded in the final 16-member squad. 

The 19-year-old Naveed Zadran has played two Tests, where he took nine wickets. He has been ruled out of the New Zealand Test due to a side strain. He is expected to be in a better position for the ODI series against South Africa in the UAE. The three-match ODI series will begin on September 18. 

The 33-year-old Gulbadin Naib, who has played 82 ODIs and 73 T20Is, is yet to make his Test debut. The same status goes for the 30-year-old left-arm pacer Fareed Ahmed, who has played 17 ODIs and 30 T20Is.  

First-ever Afghanistan vs New Zealand Test match

It will be the first Test between Afghanistan and New Zealand. Out of their nine Tests, Afghanistan won three and lost six. They have beaten Ireland, Bangladesh, and Zimbabwe once each. 

However, the Afghanistan national cricket team is becoming stronger with growing experiences. Recently, they reached the semi-final of the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2024, where they also beat New Zealand in the group stage. 

Afghanistan 16-member squad for the one-off Test against New Zealand in India

Hashmatullah Shahidi (C), Ibrahim Zadran, Rahmat Shah, Abdul Malik, Riaz Hassan, Afsar Zazai (wk), Ikram Alikhil (wk), Bahir Shah, Shahidullah Kamal, Azmatullah Omarzai, Shams Ur Rahman, Zia-ur-Rehman, Zahir Khan, Qais Ahmad, Khalil Ahmad, Nijat Masood