The Afghanistan Cricket Board (ACB) announced on Monday, August 26, that Rashid Khan will be rested for the upcoming Test series against New Zealand, as he has not yet reached the required fitness level to handle the demands of longer-format cricket.
ACB revealed a 20-member preliminary squad for the Test match against New Zealand, scheduled to take place from September 9-13 in Greater Noida, India.
Rashid had been sidelined from The Hundred on August 12 due to a hamstring injury. Although he participated in a few matches of the recently concluded Shpageeza Cricket League (SCL) 2024, the all-rounder has not fully recovered to endure the rigours of Test cricket.
Sayed Naseem Sadaat, ACB's spokesperson, confirmed to Cricbuzz on Monday that Rashid is still in recovery. He explained that although Rashid managed to play some Shpageeza T20 matches, his fitness isn't yet at the level required for Test cricket. Sadaat expressed hope that Rashid would be ready for the three-match ODI series against South Africa.
Afghanistan is set to face South Africa in a three-match ODI series in the United Arab Emirates from September 18-22.
Meanwhile, the 20-member squad will depart for India on August 28 to participate in a week-long preparation camp in Greater Noida.
Selection committee officials mentioned that the final squad would be announced after the camp, based on players' performance and fitness levels. Ahmad Shah Sulimankhel, the chief selector of ACB, stated that 20 players have been chosen for the training camp, and a 15-member squad will be selected to play the Test match against New Zealand after evaluating their readiness.
Preliminary Squad:
- Hashmatullah Shahidi (captain)
- Ibrahim Zadran
- Riaz Hassan
- Abdul Malik
- Rahmat Shah
- Baheer Shah Mahboob
- Ikram Alikhel (wk)
- Shahidullah Kamal
- Gulbadin Naib
- Afsar Zazai (wk)
- Azmatullah Omarzai
- Ziaurrahman Akbar
- Shamsurrahman
- Qais Ahmad
- Zahir Khan
- Nijat Masoud
- Farid Ahmad Malik
- Naveed Zadran
- Khalil Ahmad
- Yama Arab