Mohammad Nabi dropped from Afghanistan's T20 squad; Darwish Rasooli out of both squads; squads announced for Bangladesh and Zimbabwe series
The Afghanistan Cricket Board (ACB) has announced its Test, ODI, and T20 squads for the upcoming home series against Bangladesh and Zimbabwe. In a significant move, selectors have dropped experienced all-rounder Mohammad Nabi from the T20 squad, while middle-order batter Darwish Rasooli has been excluded from both the ODI and T20 squads.
The Afghanistan team will play a Test match against Bangladesh in the UAE, followed by participation in an ODI tri-series involving Bangladesh and Zimbabwe. Subsequently, they will play a series comprising three T20s and two Tests against Zimbabwe.
Major changes in T20 and ODI squads
- Opportunities for youngsters and domestic stars: Mohammad Akram, who recently made his T20 debut at the 2026 Asian Games, and all-rounder Abdullah Tarakhail—who performed brilliantly in the 'Shpageeza Cricket League'—have been included in the T20 squad.
- Return of players: Ijaz Ahmadzai and Shahidullah Kamal have returned to the T20 squad. Meanwhile, Fareed Ahmad Malik has been promoted from the reserves to the main 15-member T20 squad.
- Rahmat Shah named Test and ODI captain: Rahmat Shah, who recently led the team to a 4-0 ODI series victory over Ireland, will now serve as Afghanistan's regular captain for the longer formats (Test and ODI). The upcoming Test against Bangladesh will mark his first match as full-time Test captain.
Test Team: Rashid Khan and Ibrahim Zadran Rested
Star spinner Rashid Khan and batter Ibrahim Zadran have been rested for the Test format as part of workload management, following medical advice.
Shahidullah Kamal—who delivered a stellar performance (538 runs) in the 2026 Ahmad Shah Abdali First-Class tournament—and fast bowler Yamin Ahmadzai, the tournament's highest wicket-taker (42 wickets), have returned to the Test team. Additionally, Zia-ur-Rehman Akbar and leg-spinner Khalil Gurbaz have been selected for the Test squad following their recovery from injuries.
Full Series Schedule
- One-off Test against Bangladesh: October 9–13 (Abu Dhabi)
- ODI Tri-series (Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Zimbabwe): October 17–23 (Abu Dhabi and Sharjah)
- Afghanistan vs. Zimbabwe T20I Series: October 27, October 29, and November 1 (Sharjah)
- Afghanistan vs. Zimbabwe Test Series: November 5–9 (1st Test) and November 13–17 (2nd Test) – (Sharjah)
Afghanistan's Full Squads
Test Squad: Rahmat Shah (Captain), Ikram Alikhil (Vice-Captain & Wicketkeeper), Afsar Zazai, Sediqullah Atal, Abdul Malik, Hashmatullah Shahidi, Rahmanullah Zadran, Shahidullah Kamal, Ismat Alam, Qais Ahmad, Zia-ur-Rehman Akbar, Khalil Gurbaz, Mohammad Saleem Safi, Zia-ur-Rehman Sharifi, Yamin Ahmadzai. (Reserves: Bahir Shah, Nasir Khan, Bilal Sami, Bashir Ahmad)
ODI Squad: Rahmat Shah (Captain), Rahmanullah Gurbaz (Vice-Captain & Wicketkeeper), Ikram Alikhil, Sediqullah Atal, Ibrahim Zadran, Hashmatullah Shahidi, Azmatullah Omarzai, Mohammad Nabi, Rashid Khan, Nangeyaliai Kharote, AM Ghazanfar, Bilal Sami, Zia-ur-Rehman Sharifi, Fazalhaq Farooqi, Yamin Ahmadzai. (Reserve: Qais Ahmad)
T20I Squad: Ibrahim Zadran (Captain), Rahmanullah Gurbaz (Wicketkeeper), Noor Rahman, Sediqullah Atal, Mohammad Akram, Shahidullah Kamal, Ijaz Ahmadzai, Azmatullah Omarzai, Abdullah Tarakhil, Rashid Khan, Noor Ahmad, Mujeeb Ur Rahman, Fazalhaq Farooqi, Abdullah Ahmadzai, Fareed Ahmad Malik. (Reserves: Faridoon Dawoodzai, Qais Ahmad, Nangeyaliai Kharote)
