Afghanistan’s star off-spinner, Mujeeb Ur Rahman, has been named in the white-ball squads for the upcoming tour of Zimbabwe, marking his return to international cricket after a lengthy injury layoff. Mujeeb, who has not played for Afghanistan since June due to a right phalanx (hand) sprain, made his first competitive appearance in five months during the Abu Dhabi T10 on November 21. His return is a significant boost for the Afghanistan team, particularly in the shortest formats of the game.
The Afghanistan Cricket Board (ACB) also confirmed the inclusion of promising top-order batter Zubaid Akbari, who earned his maiden call-up to the T20I squad. Akbari has been in impressive form, coming off a standout performance in the Emerging Teams Asia Cup T20 tournament, where he was the fourth-highest run-scorer with 137 runs in four matches, at a strike rate of 131.73. Akbari’s form with Afghanistan A in the tournament has earned him a well-deserved spot in the T20I squad for the Zimbabwe series.
Another notable addition to the squad is Darwish Rasooli, who returns to the T20I fold after a hiatus. Rasooli, a key figure in Afghanistan A’s victory in the Emerging Teams Asia Cup earlier this year, has previously played seven T20Is, with his last appearance being against the UAE in Sharjah in January 2024.
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Afghanistan will continue to miss the services of top-order batter Ibrahim Zadran, who is still recovering from ankle surgery he underwent in England. The injury list also sees Noor Ahmad, who has been named only in the T20I squad, and Riaz Hassan, who has been left out of the ODI squad.
The white-ball leg of the tour will consist of three T20Is and three ODIs, before both teams engage in a two-match Test series between December 26 and January 6, 2025. Afghanistan has yet to announce their Test squad.
The tour’s schedule has seen slight adjustments, with the dates for the T20I series shifting to accommodate spectator attendance during weekends. The three T20Is, originally set for December 9, 11, and 12, will now take place on December 11, 13, and 14. The ODIs will follow, with the first match now scheduled for December 17, followed by the second and third ODIs on December 19 and 21, respectively. All matches will be held at the Harare Sports Club.
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ACB’s interim chief selector Ahmad Shah expressed his optimism regarding Mujeeb’s recovery, saying, “It’s a great feeling to see our frontline spinner, Mujeeb Ur Rahman, recover from his injury and be available for selection. He is an essential member of our squad, and we hope he continues to shine brightly for Afghanistan.”
The Afghanistan squad for the Zimbabwe tour is as follows:
Afghanistan ODI Squad:
- Hashmatullah Shahidi (captain)
- Rahmat Shah (vice-captain)
- Rahmanullah Gurbaz (wicketkeeper)
- Ikram Alikhil (wicketkeeper)
- Abdul Malik
- Sediqullah Atal
- Darwish Rasooli
- Azmatullah Omarzai
- Mohammad Nabi
- Gulbadin Naib
- Rashid Khan
- Nangyal Kharoti
- AM Ghazanfar
- Mujeeb Ur Rahman
- Fazalhaq Farooqi
- Bilal Sami
- Naveed Zadran
- Farid Ahmad Malik
Afghanistan T20I Squad:
- Rashid Khan (captain)
- Rahmanullah Gurbaz (wicketkeeper)
- Mohammad Ishaq (wicketkeeper)
- Sediqullah Atal
- Hazratullah Zazai
- Mohammad Nabi
- Darwish Rasooli
- Zubaid Akbari
- Gulbadin Naib
- Karim Janat
- Azmatullah Omarzai
- Nangyal Kharoti
- Mujeeb Ur Rahman
- Noor Ahmad
- Fazal Haq Farooqi
- Fareed Ahmad
- Naveen Ul Haq
With an exciting squad in place and key players back in action, Afghanistan will be aiming to make a strong impact on their Zimbabwe tour and continue their growth in international cricket.