Afghanistan name squad for Asia Cup, Rashid Khan to lead

Afghanistan have announced a 17-member squad for the upcoming Asia Cup, placing a strong emphasis on spin and all-round strength.

Star leg-spinner Rashid Khan will lead the team in the T20 tournament, which kicks off next month in UAE.

Afghanistan Cricket Board (ACB) revealed the squad on Saturday morning with a dramatic social media video, showcasing player banners displayed at key landmarks across the country; a signature move ACB has adopted for major tournament announcements.

Rashid, the face of Afghan cricket, returns as captain and headlines a squad rich in spin options and all-rounders.

The selectors opted for six multi-dimensional players, including spin-bowling all-rounders Mohammad Nabi, Sharafuddin Ashraf, and Rashid himself, as well as pace-bowling all-rounders Azmatullah Omarzai, Karim Janat and Gulbadin Naib.

Spin remains Afghanistan’s standout strength, with mystery spinner Allah Ghazanfar joining seasoned campaigners Mujeeb Ur Rahman and Noor Ahmad to form a potent trio for the middle overs.

In contrast, the pace attack appears more modest, with just three frontline seamers: Naveen-ul-Haq, Fazalhaq Farooqi and Fareed Malik.

Rahmanullah Gurbaz retains his spot as the first-choice wicketkeeper, with Mohammad Ishaq named as backup.

The batting unit sees the return of top-order batter Ibrahim Zadran and middle-order hitter Darwish Rasooli.

However, Hazratullah Zazai and Zubaid Akbari have been left out from the squad that last played T20 internationals in Zimbabwe in December.

This squad announcement marks the end of a long international hiatus in the T20 format for Afghanistan. Since their appearance in ICC Champions Trophy in February, they haven’t played a T20 international.

However, many players have remained active through global franchise leagues such as the IPL, PSL, BPL, ILT20 and SA20.

The Asia Cup will be Afghanistan’s first T20 assignment of the year and is preceded by a tri-series in Sharjah involving hosts UAE and Pakistan.

Afghanistan begin their campaign on September 9 against Hong Kong in Abu Dhabi, followed by matches against Bangladesh on September 16 and Sri Lanka on September 18 in Group B.

Afghanistan Squad:

Rashid Khan (captain), Rahmanullah Gurbaz (wk), Ibrahim Zadran, Darwish Rasooli, Sediqullah Atal, Mohammad Nabi, Azmatullah Omarzai, Karim Janat, Gulbadin Naib, Sharafuddin Ashraf, Mohammad Ishaq (wk), Allah Ghazanfar, Mujeeb Ur Rahman, Noor Ahmad, Fareed Malik, Fazalhaq Farooqi, Naveen-ul-Haq.

Standby players: Wafiyullah Tarakhil, Nangyal Kharoti, Abdullah Ahmedzai.