Mujeeb left out for Ireland Test, Shahzad out of T20Is (original) (raw)

ESPNcricinfo

espn plus

News

There were three new additions in the Afghanistan squad from their inaugural Test against India last year: batsman Ikram Ali Khil, seamer Waqar Salamkheil and allrounder Sharafuddin Ashraf

Mujeeb Ur Rahman celebrates Cheteshwar Pujara's wicket, India v Afghanistan, Only Test, Bengaluru, 1st day, June 14, 2018

Mujeeb Ur Rahman celebrates Cheteshwar Pujara's wicket • BCCI

Mujeeb Ur Rahman has been left out of Afghanistan's 14-member Test squad that will take on Ireland next month in Dehradun. Both teams play each other in all three formats from February 21. The other notable absentee was opener Mohammad Shahzad. He couldn't find a place in the T20I side, but was included to play the ODIs and Test match.

There were three new additions in the Afghanistan squad from their inaugural Test against India last year: left-hand batsman Ikram Ali Khil, left-arm seamer Waqar Salamkheil and allrounder Sharafuddin Ashraf. Both Ikram and Waqar are yet to make an international appearance for Afghanistan. Ikram has scored 343 runs from six first-class games at an average of 38.11, while Waqar has 56 wickets at an average of 21.46 from seven first-class matches. Sharafuddin, on the other hand, has played 14 ODIs and six T20Is.

Zahir Khan, the left-arm wristspinner, found a place in both ODI and T20I squads, while left-arm orthodox spinner Zia-Ur-Rehman was included in the T20I side. Ikram is part of the ODI squad as well.

Before the only Test, the two sides will play three T20Is followed by five ODIs. For both Afghanistan and Ireland this will be their second Test. As preparation, the Afghanistan players had trained in Chennai and Bengaluru prior to the series.

T20I squad: Asghar Afghan (capt), Usman Ghani, Najeeb Tarakai, Hazratullah Zazai, Samiullah Shinwari, Mohammad Nabi, Shafiqullah Shafaq, Rashid Khan, Najibullah Zadran, Karim Janat, Farid Malik, Sayed Shirzad, Zia-Ur-Rehman, Mujeeb Ur Rahman, Zahir Khan, Sharafuddin Ashraf

ODI squad: Asghar Afghan (capt), Mohammad Shahzad, Noor Ali Zadran, Javed Ahmadi, Hazratullah Zazai, Rahmat Shah, Samiullah Shinwari, Mohammad Nabi, Najibullah Zadran, Ikram Ali Khil, Hashmatullah Shahidi, Rashid Khan, Karim Janat, Gulbadin Naib, Aftab Alam, Dawlat, Zahir Khan, Farid Malik, Mujeeb Ur Rahman, Shapoor Zadran, Sayed Shirzad

Test squad: Asghar Afghan (capt), Mohammad Shahzad, Ihsan Janat, Javed Ahmadi, Rahmat Shah, Nasir Jamal, Hashmatullah Shahidi, Ikram Ali Khil, Mohammad Nabi, Rashid Khan, Wafadar Momand, Yamin Ahmadzai, Sharafuddin Ashraf, Waqar Salamkheil