"Yeah, we have a great bunch of pacers. We have included Abdullah Ahmadzai, Bashir Ahmad, and Salim Safi is also returning after an injury. So, they all have the ability to bowl around 140."
Asia Cup 2025- Afghanistan squad released; should Pakistan be worried?
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The Afghanistan Cricket Board has announced a 22-member preliminary squad for the upcoming Asia Cup 2025, once again entrusting Rashid Khan with the captaincy role.
The squad announced by the ACB with the Asia Cup 2025 and the tri-nation series in sight, includes leg-spin maestro Rashid Khan as the skipper of the side. Rashid Khan's form has taken a recent dip, and it has been of major concern for the bowler as well.
As a result of the form dip and an ordinary season in the IPL with the Gujarat Titans, where he picked only 9 wickets with an economy rate of 9.34 and an average of 57.11, his worst in all these years, he opted to withdraw from Major League Cricket, where he represents the MI New York side.
ACB announces 22-member squad for Asia Cup 2025
The ACB selection committee member Mir Mubariz mentioned that the board will be conducting a two-week preparation camp before the team advances to play the tri-nation series. After the conclusion of the series, they will focus on the Asia Cup 2025.
"We have announced a preliminary squad for the preparation camp ahead of the tri-nation series and Asia Cup, where the newly included guys will be checked by both the coaching staff and the captain during the training and preparation camp," said Murbaiz.
He also confirmed that they are expecting to pick their Asia Cup squad for the next year from the 22 members of the preliminary camp, unless any injuries force them to change their plans.
"Yeah, we will probably go with these 22 players to the upcoming Asia Cup, but there might be changes in case of injury, and we will take care of such issues with the passage of time," he added.
After the tri-nation series and the camps, the coach, captain, and the selection committee will all decide together whom to go with for the Asia Cup," he further explained.
ACB chief shows faith in Rashid Khan for a stronger comeback
The Afghanistan board has, however, kept full faith in Rashid Khan's ability, as they have stated in their statement that he is a superstar player and knows very well how to make a stronger comeback.
"Rashid Khan is Afghanistan's superstar player. He has always done it for the team. Being in form or out of form, that's a part of the game, but he knows very well how to come back stronger and perform in major events for the team and the country," Mir Mubariz, ACB's selection committee member, told Cricbuzz.
Afghanistan makes crucial additions for the Asia Cup 2025
The chief selector stocked his pace deck, as they have picked some talented players alongside their world-famous spinners, who have made their team with stunning performances in franchise-level leagues.
"The whole world knows Afghanistan has got the best spin unit, with the likes of Rashid Khan, Mujeeb, Mohammad Nabi, and Allah Mohammad Ghazanfar."
"We have also added Nangyal Kharoti and Sharafuddin Ashraf, particularly Sharafuddin Ashraf, who has been doing great in domestic cricket for the last few years and was the Player of the Tournament in the Shpageeza 2025," he added.
"We have added a number of new guys, such as top-order batter Wafiullah Tarakhil...Two pacers, Abdullah Ahmadzai, who is part of the preparation camp for the first time, and Bashir Ahmad, who has played with our A team. They are the future of Afghanistan," he concluded.
Afghanistan's 22-member preliminary squad for Asia Cup 2025: Rahmanullah Gurbaz (WK), Sediqullah Atal, Wafiullah Tarakhil, Ibrahim Zadran, Sharafuddin Ashraf, Karim Janat, Azmatullah Omarzai, Gulbadin Naib, Mujeeb Zadran, AM Ghazanfar, Noor Ahmad, Darwish Rasooli, Mohammad Ishaq, Rashid Khan (C), Mohammad Nabi, Nangyal Kharoti, Fazal Haq Farooqi, Naveen ul Haq, Farid Malik, Saleem Safi, Abdullah Ahmadzai, Bashir Ahmad.
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