ICC T20 World Cup 2021: Mohammad Shahzad Returns As Afghanistan Announce Their Squad For The Tournament

Afghanistan Cricket Board (ACB) on Thursday named an 18-member squad for the upcoming ICC T20 World Cup 2021 to be played in United Arab Emirates (UAE).

22-year-old Rashid Khan will lead the team in the showpiece event that starts next month and wicket-keeper batsman Mohammad Shahzad, who was dropped from the team in the middle of the 2019 World Cup citing injury, made his way back to the Afghanistan squad.

ACB announces 18-member squad for ICC T20 World Cup 2021

ACB announced the squad on its official Twitter handle. Senior players Asghar Afghan and all-rounder Mohammad Nabi will make their presence count in the team and will also play a crucial role in taking the team to its heights.

Gulbadin Naib, who led the team in the 2019 World Cup, will once again feature as their main all-rounder with Mujeeb Ur Rahman and leg-spinner Qais Ahmad will complement skipper Rashid Khan on the turning tracks of UAE.

Apart from the 18 members, wicket-keeper Afsar Zazai and uncapped player Farid Ahmad Malik have been named as the team’s reserve players.

Afghanistan women cricket’s future a big concern in Taliban rule

There have been many tensions in the country since the militant organisation Taliban took the power and control from the Ashraf Ghani government. The future of cricket in the country looks bleak with reports appearing that women won’t be allowed to participate in cricket which also threatens their only Test match against Australia in November.

Cricket Australia said in a statement that they will have to cancel the Test match if women are barred to participate in the country.

Afghanistan will play their first match against the winner of group B from the qualifiers stage on October 25 in Sharjah.

Afghanistan squad for ICC T20 World Cup 2021: Rashid Khan (captain), Hazratullah Zazai, Rahmanullah Gurbaz (WK), Asghar Afghan, Mohammad Nabi, Hashmatullah Shahidi, Najibullah Zadran, Usman Ghani, Mohammad Shahzad (WK), Mujeeb Ur Rahman, Karim Janat, Gulbadin Naib, Naveen-ul-Haq, Hamid Hassan, Sharafuddin Ashraf, Dawlat Zadran, Shapoor Zadran, Qais Ahmad.

Reserved Players: Afsar Zazai and Farid Ahmad Malik.

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Also Read: ICC T20 World Cup 2021: Cricket Ireland Announces 18-Member Squad, Uncapped Player Graham Kennedy Included