Afghanistan ODI squad for Bangladesh series announced; Stars Out

The Afghanistan Cricket Board (ACB) has named a 19-member squad for their upcoming ODI series against Bangladesh in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) next month. However, Ibrahim Zadran and Mujeeb Ur Rahman have been ruled out of the three one-day internationals due to their respective injuries.

Ibrahim Zadran is currently recovering from recent ankle surgery performed in England, while Mujeeb Ur Rahman is recovering from a right phalanx sprain. Uncapped batter Sediqullah Atal has been selected in the squad in Zadran's absence. However, Atal has played six T20 internationals for Afghanistan.

Atal has been in excellent form, scoring 230 runs from three innings at an average of 115 in the ACC Men's Emerging Asia Cup. Left-arm wrist-spinner Noor Ahmad is back in the squad after missing the last ODI series against South Africa. The selectors backed the same squad from the previous series.

Afghanistan Squad For Bangladesh Series:

Hashmatullah Shahidi (C), Rahmat Shah (VC), Rahmanullah Gurbaz (WK), Ikram Alikhil (WK), Abdul Malik, Riaz Hassan, Sediqullah Atal, Darwish Rasooli, Azmatullah Omarzai, Mohammad Nabi, Gulbadin Naib, Rashid Khan, Nangyal Kharoti, AM Ghazanfar, Noor Ahmad, Fazal Haq Farooqi, Bilal Sami, Naveed Zadran and Farid Ahmad Malik.

Ibrahim Zadran Is Currently Undergoing Rehabilitation - Chief Selector

Afghanistan Chief Selector Ahmad Shah Sulimankhil said that Ibrahim Zadran is recovering from recent ankle surgery. Sulimankhil also confirmed that Mujeeb Ur Rahman is unavailable due to ongoing treatment. The chief selector said that Noor Ahmad has returned to the squad.

"Ibrahim Zadran is currently undergoing rehabilitation and continues to recover from the surgery he recently had. Mujeeb Ur Rahman also remains unavailable due to ongoing treatment," Sulimankhil said.

"However, Noor Ahmad is back in the squad, and we have included a promising top-order batter in Sediqullah Atal, who has impressed everyone with his consistent top performances," he added.

The Calendar Year 2024 Has Been Action-Packed - ACB CEO Naseeb Khan

ACB CEO Naseeb Khan praised the team's success in white-ball cricket in 2024. He said that ODI cricket is a priority as they prepare for the upcoming ICC Champions Trophy. Khan said that playing against Bangladesh is challenging but he is confident that the selected players will excel.

"The calendar year 2024 has been action-packed and quite successful for the ACB and the AfghanAtalan lineup, particularly in white-ball cricket. ODI cricket has been a top priority for us, as it helps us prepare the team for the upcoming ICC Champions Trophy," Khan said, as quoted by cricket.af.

"Playing against Bangladesh has always been challenging and full of joy. I believe the group of players selected for this series will perform exceptionally well and bring more glory to our nation," he added.

The first ODI match between Afghanistan and Bangladesh will be played at the Sharjah Cricket Stadium in Sharjah on November 6. The remaining two matches will be played at the same venue on November 9 and 11, respectively. Afghanistan has won six ODIs out of 16 matches so far against Bangladesh.

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