The Afghanistan Cricket Board (ACB) on Thursday unveiled a 17-member squad for the upcoming three-match One Day International (ODI) series against South Africa.
Mujeeb Ur Rahman and Ibrahim Zadran, two key players, will miss the series due to injuries, according to a statement from the board.
The squad includes world-class spinner Rashid Khan, who has been grappling with back injuries, as previously noted by the ACB. Hashmatullah Shahidi will lead the team as captain, with Rahmat Shah serving as vice-captain.
The selected players are: Hashmatullah Shahidi (c), Rahmat Shah (vc), Rahmanullah Gurbaz (wk), Ikram Alikhil (wk), Abdul Malik, Riaz Hassan, Darwish Rasooli, Azmatullah Omarzai, Mohammad Nabi, Gulbadin Naib, Rashid Khan, Nangyal Kharoti, Allah Mohammad Ghazanfar, Fazal Haq Farooqi, Bilal Sami, Naveed Zadran, and Farid Ahmad Malik.
The series will be played in Sharjah, UAE, with the first match scheduled for September 18, followed by the second on September 20, and the final on September 22.
Afghanistan has faced South Africa twice in ODI matches, with South Africa winning both encounters. India and South Africa remain the only two full-member countries that Afghanistan has yet to defeat in ODI cricket.
