Rashid Khan returns as Afghanistan Test squad for Zimbabwe tour announced

The Afghanistan Cricket Board (ACB) has announced the 18-member squad to face Zimbabwe in the upcoming two-match Test series to be held in Bulawayo. The Afghanistan squad has been bolstered with the return of their talismanic cricketer Rashid Khan, who returns to the format after more than three years.

Apart from Rashid, talented opening batter Sediqullah Atal has received a maiden Test call-up. Atal recently made his T20I and ODI debuts after impressive performances in the Emerging Asia Cup. He is in line to make his Test debut in the upcoming series.

The Test series between these two teams will be played after the three-match ODI series, which will begin on December 17. The first match of the two-match Test series will be played from December 26 while the last Test will begin from January 2.

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ACB announces Afghanistan Test squad for Zimbabwe tour

Rashid Khan returns to the Test Squad to face Zimbabwe! 🚨

Dive into the link below as ACB name #AfghanAtalan's squad for the two-match Test Series against Zimbabwe, starting December 26 in Bulawayo. 🤩

🔗: https://t.co/PFeQIvoH94#AfghanAtalan | #ZIMvAFG |… pic.twitter.com/F2QVSGfnB7

— Afghanistan Cricket Board (@ACBofficials) December 16, 2024

The squad has a total of seven uncapped players which also includes the big white-ball names like the allrounder Azmatullah Omarzai and the left-arm quick Fareed Malik. Opener Riaz Hassan, who has played 7 ODIs so far, is also in this squad.

All these three players were recently part of Afghanistan's squad for the only Test against New Zealand, which was scheduled to be held at Greater Noida, but was washed out due to persistent rain. As a result, all of them are yet to make their Test debuts.

Zahir Shehzad, Ismat Alam, and Bashir Ahmad Afghan are among some of the new names in this squad. Zahir is a left-arm spinner who has been mightily impressive in the domestic first-class competition.

Ismat Alam is a talented fast-bowling allrounder who scored 723 runs and snapped up 12 wickets in the Ahmad Shah Abdali first-class competition. Meanwhile, Bashir Ahmad Afghan is a left-arm fast bowler who picked up 30 wickets at an average of 17.36.

Rashid Khan returns to the Test squad

The return of Rashid Khan is the biggest news of this squad. Rashid, who has been superb in his career so far and is probably the face of Afghanistan cricket at the moment, has been excellent in white-ball formats for his country.

However, the lack of Test cricket for Afghanistan has not allowed Rashid to play enough Tests in his career so far. He makes his Test return after three years. Rashid has played 5 Tests and picked up 34 wickets at an average of 22.35 with 4 five-wicket hauls so far.

Afghanistan squad for Test series in Zimbabwe

Hashmatullah Shahidi (C), Rahmat Shah (VC), Ikram Alikhail (wk), Afsar Zazai (wk), Riaz Hassan, Sediqullah Atal, Abdul Malik, Baheer Shah Mahboob, Ismat Alam, Azmatullah Omarzai, Zahir Khan, Zia Ur Rehman Akbar, Zahir Shehzad, Rashid Khan, Yamin Ahmadzai, Bashir Ahmad Afghan, Naveed Zadran, Fareed Ahmad Malik