This content has been archived. It may no longer be relevant

Hashmatullah Shahidi continues to be in charge, and the bowling section is led by Rashid Khan and Mujeeb Ur Rahman.

Gulbadin Naib, an all-rounder, and left-arm wristspinner Noor Ahmad, an uncapped player, have been added to Afghanistan’s 18-man team for the three-match ODI series against Sri Lanka that begins in Kandy later this month.

The remaining members of the team are the same as those that competed in Afghanistan’s most recent ODI series, which they won 3-0 against Zimbabwe in early June.

Although Noor, 18, hasn’t yet played in an ODI, he has established a solid name in numerous T20 leagues around the world. 

He recently played for Afghanistan’s 2022 Asia Cup side and returned statistics of 4 for 10 in his T20I debut, which are joint-best debut numbers in a T20I involving two Full-Member teams. Despite not being selected for the T20 World Cup in Australia, he has regularly been with the squad despite not always seeing action.

While Hazratullah Zazai was injured, the former ODI skipper Naib was inserted into Afghanistan’s T20 World Cup squad in the middle of the tournament. Naib’s most recent 50-over match was against Bangladesh in February.

The rest of the team is composed as expected, with Hashmatullah Shahidi serving as the team’s captain. Along with Rahmanullah Gurbaz, Rahmat Shah, and Ibrahim Zadran, he is anticipated to serve as the pivot of the top order. The team also includes Mohammad Nabi, who recently resigned as the T20 captain following Afghanistan’s disastrous World Cup campaign in which they failed to win a single match. The bowling group’s leaders are Mujeeb Ur Rahman and Rashid Khan.

The three-game ODI Super League series will get underway on November 25. The locations of all three contests are Kandy. With ten victories from 12 games, Afghanistan is now seventh in the Super League points standings.

Full squad: Hashmatullah Shahidi (capt), Rahmat Shah (vice-capt), Rahmanullah Gurbaz (wk), Azmatullah Omarzai, Fareed Ahmad, Fazalhaq Farooqi, Gulbadin Naib, Ibrahim Zadran, Ikram Alikhil (wk), Mohammad Nabi, Mujeeb Ur Rahman, Najibullah Zadran, Noor Ahmad, Rashid Khan, Riaz Hassan, Shahidullah Kamal, Yamin Ahmadzai, Zia-ur-Rehman