One-Off Test
Gulbadin Naib has been omitted from Afghanistan’s squad for the one-off Test against New Zealand
Afghanistan has omitted Gulbadin Naib from their 16-man squad for the upcoming one-off Test against New Zealand, starting on September 9.
Naib, a veteran of white-ball cricket for Afghanistan, has yet to feature in red-ball cricket for the national team.
Although he was included in the preliminary 20-man squad announced last week, the final 16-man roster, finalized after a training camp in Greater Noida, did not include him.
Naib was one of the four players cut from the initial list.
AFG squad for one-off Test vs NZ:
| Player Name |
|---|
| Hashmatullah Shahidi (Captain) |
| Ibrahim Zadran |
| Riaz Hassan |
| Abdul Malik |
| Rahmat Shah |
| Baheer Shah Mahboob |
| Ikram Ali Khil (WK) |
| Shahidullah Kamal |
| Afsar Zazai (WK) |
| Azmatullah Omarzai |
| Zia Ur Rahman Akbar |
| Shams Ur Rahman |
| Qais Ahmad |
| Zahir Khan |
| Nijat Masood |
| Khalil Ahmad |
Fast bowler Naveed Zadran will also miss the Test due to a side strain injury.
The physio has recommended a 3-4 week rest to allow Zadran to recover in time for the ODI series against South Africa in the UAE, which begins on September 18.
Also missing out are 17-year-old fast bowler Yama Arab and left-arm pacer Farid Ahmed Malik.
Afghanistan has chosen Ikram Ali Khil and Afsar Zazai as their wicketkeeping options, despite Rahmanullah Gurbaz being the wicketkeeper in their last Test against Ireland earlier this year.
Noor Ali Zadran, who played in that Test, is also absent following his international retirement in March.
The upcoming Test against New Zealand in Greater Noida will be Afghanistan’s 10th in the format.
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