Hashmatullah Shahidi to lead Afghanistan in one-off India Test: Squad

Hashmatullah Shahidi to lead Afghanistan in one-off India Test: Squad

Afghanistan have announced a 15-member squad for their upcoming one-off Test match against India.

The team, captained by Hashmatullah Shahidi, sees the return of top-order batsmen Sediqullah Atal and Rahmat Shah.

Star all-rounder Azmatullah Omarzai has also been included in the squad.

However, ace spinner Rashid Khan continues to be absent from the longest format to manage his workload.

Shah, Pybus on Rashid's exclusion

Rahmat Shah is the most experienced player in the squad, having played 11 of Afghanistan's 12 Tests so far.

He missed only the last one-off Test against Zimbabwe in 2024.

Meanwhile, Rashid Khan's absence has been a major talking point.

Head coach Richard Pybus recently advised him to prioritize his long-term health over playing Test cricket amid ongoing injury concerns.

Who are the spinners?

With Rashid Khan missing from the squad, Qais Ahmad is likely to lead the spin department. He will be supported by left-arm spinners Sharafuddin Ashraf and Nangeyalia Kharote.

A look at Test squad

The one-off Test match against India will take place in New Chandigarh from June 6-10.

Squad: Hashmatullah Shahidi (captain), Abdul Malik, Sediqullah Atal, Rahmat Shah, Rahmanullah Gurbaz, Rahmanullah Zadran, Afsar Zazai (wicket-keeper), Ikram Alikhil (wicket-keeper), Azmatullah Omarzai, Sharafuddin Ashraf, Nangeyalia Kharotai, Qais Ahmad, Bilal Sami, Zia Sharifi, and Saleem Safi.

Reserves: Bashir Ahmad, Bashir Shah, and Ismat Alam.

Afghanistan to play three ODIs

Afghanistan will also play a three-match ODI series in the nation. The series starts in Dharamsala on June 14.

ODI squad: Hashmatullah Shahidi (captain), Rahmanullah Gurbaz (wicket-keeper), Ibrahim Zadran, Sediqullah Atal, Darwish Rasooli, Rahmat Shah, Ikram Alikhil (wicket-keeper), Mohammad Nabi, Azmatullah Omarzai, Rashid Khan, Nangeyalia Kharote, AM Ghazanfar, Zia ur Rahman, Fareed Malik, and Bilal Sami. Reserves: Qais Ahmad, Saleem Safi, and Bashir Ahmad.