AFG vs SA: Rashid Khan returns as Afghanistan squad for South Africa ODIs gets announced

Afghanistan's squad for the ODI series against South Africa has been announced. In a huge relief, star cricketer Rashid Khan has returned to the squad after missing the one-off Test match against New Zealand and the ODI series against Ireland due to a back injury.

While Rashid is set to return in Afghan colors, Ibrahim Zadran and Mujeeb Ur Rahman are not available due to injuries. Ibrahim Zadran suffered an ankle sprain which ruled him out of the one-off Test against New Zealand as well.

Meanwhile, mystery spinner Mujeeb is also unavailable as he continues his recovery from a right phalanx sprain. Apart from these two players, all the other first-choice players are available in the squad.

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Rashid Khan back as ACB announces Afghanistan's squad for South Africa ODIs

The announcement of the ODI squad was made by the Afghanistan Cricket Board (ACB). Hashmatullah Shahidi is the captain of the team while Rahmat Shah is the vice-captain.

Happy with our Squad for the @ProteasMenCSA ODIs? 🏏

🔗: https://t.co/J6TIZnLWIT#AfghanAtalan | #AFGvSA | #GloriousNationVictoriousTeam pic.twitter.com/rFBh6Et27l

— Afghanistan Cricket Board (@ACBofficials) September 12, 2024

ACB CEO Naseeb Khan expressed his excitement for hosting South Africa for the first time ever. This will also be the first-ever bilateral ODI series between these two nations.

“Hosting South Africa for the first time in our cricketing history is a huge milestone for Afghanistan Cricket. They are a top-quality side, and playing against them in an ODI series is something we are all excited about,” Naseeb Khan was quoted as saying by the ACB.

“Our team has shown great performances in ICC events over the past two-three years, and we are focused on making our team equally competitive in bilateral cricket,” he added.

Meanwhile, talented opener Abdul Malik has been called up to the squad to replace Ibrahim Zadran. Malik has produced some remarkable performances in List A cricket recently and has been rewarded for his performances. He has already played two Tests for Afghanistan.

Youngster Darwish Rasooli is also included in the squad. Rasooli has played 7 T20Is so far but has scored just 51 runs. But he has been a consistent performer in List A cricket and is also likely to get a game in this series.

The three-match ODI series between Afghanistan and South Africa will be played at the iconic Sharjah Cricket Stadium. The three ODIs of the series will be held on September 18, 20, and 22.

The last time these teams met was in the T20 World Cup 2024 semi-final when South Africa thrashed Afghanistan by 9 wickets to end their dream run. It was the first time that Afghanistan made it to the semi-finals of a senior ICC tournament.

Afghanistan squad for the ODI series against South Africa

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.