The Afghanistan Cricket Board on Saturday announced its white-ball squads for the upcoming series against Bangladesh, set to be played Oct. 2–14 in the United Arab Emirates.
Left-arm fast bowler Fazal Haq Farooqi, along with all-rounders Gulbadin Naib and Karim Janat, has been left out of both squads. Top-order batter Wafiullah Tarakhil and right-arm fast bowler Mohammad Saleem Safi were named to the T20 squad. Fast bowlers Bashir Ahmad and Abdullah Ahmadzai have been selected for both the one-day international and Twenty20 sides.
Mujeeb Ur Rahman retains his place in the T20 squad, while AM Ghazanfar was named among the reserves. However, Ghazanfar was also included in the ODI squad, replacing Mujeeb. Rahmat Shah Zurmati has been added to the T20 reserves. Bilal Sami and Faridoon Dawoodzai are part of the ODI reserve pool.
“This marks the beginning of a packed season after a six-month break from international cricket following the ICC Champions Trophy,” said Naseeb Khan, CEO of the Afghanistan Cricket Board. “It gives us a great opportunity to prepare for the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup next year.”
Khan acknowledged the team’s underwhelming performance in the 2025 Asia Cup but expressed optimism moving forward.
“The performances in the Asia Cup were not as expected, but ups and downs are part of the game. We remain hopeful that Afghan Atalan will bounce back strongly and make the nation proud in the upcoming events,” he said.
Afghanistan T20 squad: Rashid Khan (capt.), Ibrahim Zadran (vice capt.), Rahmanullah Gurbaz (wk), Mohammad Ishaq (wk), Sediqullah Atal, Wafiullah Tarakhil, Darwish Rasooli, Azmatullah Omarzai, Mohammad Nabi, Sharafuddin Ashraf, Noor Ahmad, Mujeeb Ur Rahman, Bashir Ahmad, Fareed Ahmad Malik, Abdullah Ahmadzai.
Reserves: AM Ghazanfar, Rahmat Shah.
Afghanistan ODI squad: Hashmatullah Shahidi (capt.), Rahmat Shah (vice capt.), Rahmanullah Gurbaz (wk), Ikram Alikhil (wk), Ibrahim Zadran, Sediqullah Atal, Darwish Rasooli, Azmatullah Omarzai, Mohammad Nabi, Rashid Khan, Nangyal Kharoti, AM Ghazanfar, Abdullah Ahmadzai, Bashir Ahmad, Mohammad Saleem Safi.
Reserves: Bilal Sami, Faridoon Dawoodzai.
Etisalat Afghanistan holds the title sponsorship rights for the series. Vany remains the national team’s official clothing partner.
Series schedule:
Oct. 2: 1st T20, Sharjah
Oct. 3: 2nd T20, Sharjah
Oct. 5: 3rd T20, Sharjah
Oct. 8: 1st ODI, Abu Dhabi
Oct. 11: 2nd ODI, Abu Dhabi
Oct. 14: 3rd ODI, Abu Dhabi
