Afghanistan squad for maiden Test against New Zealand announced

Afghanistan National Cricket Team have announced the strong 16-member squad for the one-off Test against the New Zealand National Cricket Team. Hashmatullah Shahidi has been named as the captain of the side for the historic game between the teams.

The Afghanistan National Cricket Team and the New Zealand National Cricket Team will be locking horns with each other for the first time in Test cricket. The one-off game between the teams will be played in Greater Noida, India, which is their adopted home, from 9th September.

This will be the 10th game in the longest format of the game for the Afghanistan National Cricket Team. They would want to make an impact and win the game against the New Zealand National Cricket Team. The Hashmatullah Shahidi-led side have been preparing hard for the game for the last few days.

Notably, the Afghans recently named the 20-member preliminary squad and after the practice sessions, they have finalized the 16 players. Along with skipper, Shahidi, Ibrahim Zadran, Rahmat Shah, Abdul Malik Riaz Hassan, Afsar Zazai, and Ikram Alikhil will be handling the batting department.

Rashid Khan was ruled out of the one-off Test while Naveed Zadran also faced an injury ahead of the one-off game. What caught the attention of many was all-rounder Gulbadin Naib, who was a part of the preliminary squad also didn't make it to the final squad.

ACB released an official statement, saying that they have named the squad based on the players’ performance in the preparation camp. The statement, which they posted on Twitter, stated:

"The ACBofficials Selection Committee named a 16-member squad for the only test match against New Zealand starting this Monday, in Greater Noida, India. The squad is finalized based on players’ performance in the preparation camp."

🚨 𝐒𝐐𝐔𝐀𝐃 𝐀𝐋𝐄𝐑𝐓! 🚨

The @ACBofficials Selection Committee named 16-member squad for the only test match against New Zealand starting this Monday, in Greater Noida, India. The squad is finalized based on players’ performance in the preparation camp.#AfgvsNZ pic.twitter.com/T9uciEkeuZ

— Afghanistan Cricket Board (@ACBofficials) September 6, 2024

Afghanistan squad for the one-off Test against New Zealand

Here's the Afghanistan squad for the one-off Test against New Zealand:

Hashmatullah Shahidi (c), Ibrahim Zadran, Rahmat Shah, Abdul Malik, Riaz Hassan, Afsar Zazai, Ikram Alikhil, Baheer Shah Mahboob, Shahidullah Kamal, Azmatullah Omarzai, Shams Ur Rahman, Zia Ur Rahman Akbar, Zahir Khan Pakteen, Qais Ahmad, Khalil Ahmad, Nijat Masood

Afghanistan are yet to make a big impact in Test cricket. While they have been impressive in the white-ball cricket, they haven't found their mojo in the longest format of the game. They have won just 2 out of their 9 games, defeating Bangladesh and Ireland.

This time around they would want to turn around the tables and win their third Test match. They would be high on confidence, especially after beating big teams in the T20 World Cup 2024 and reaching the semi-final.

On the other hand, New Zealand also announced their squad for the one-off Test. They also roped in former Sri Lanka left-arm spinner Rangana Herath as their spin-bowling coach for the next three Tests, whereas former India batting coach Vikram Rathour joined the camp for the one-off Test.