Afghanistan seamer Naveed Zadran has been ruled out of the one-off Test against New Zealand due to side strain injury. Notably, Afghanistan are set to take on the Kiwis in a one-off Test beginning from September 9 in Greater Noida, India. It will be the first ever Test between the two sides in the brief history of Afghanistan in the longest format.
However, ahead of the series they’ve lost the services of young seamer Zadran who has been advised a rest for 3-4 weeks. The management hopes that he will get better before the South Africa ODI series in UAE. Afghanistan Cricket Board (ACB) hasn’t named any replacement for the 19-year-old teenager.
Afghanistan are also without the services of their captain Rashid Khan for the game who has been advised not to participate in the longest format for one year by his doctors following his back operation last year. Notably, the 20-member preliminary squad is currently undergoing a preparation camp ahead of the series and the board will announce a 15-member squad at the end of it after assessing players’ fitness and performance.
Meanwhile, New Zealand team has also arrived in the city ahead of the match and was given a warm welcome.
Afghanistan Preliminary Squad: Hashmatullah Shahidi (captain), Ibrahim Zadran, Riaz Hassan, Abdul Malik, Rahmat Shah, Baheer Shah Mahboob, Ikram Alikhel (wk), Shahidullah Kamal, Gulbadin Naib, Afsar Zazai (wk), Azmatullah Omarzai, Ziaurrahman Akbar, Shamsurrahman, Qais Ahmad, Zahir Khan, Nijat Masoud, Farid Ahmad Malik, Khalil Ahmad and Yama Arab.
New Zealand squad for one-off Test against Afghanistan: Tim Southee (C), Tom Blundell (WK), Michael Bracewell, Devon Conway, Matt Henry, Tom Latham (VC), Daryl Mitchell, Will O’Rourke, Ajaz Patel, Glenn Phillips, Rachin Ravindra, Mitchell Santner, Ben Sears, Kane Williamson, Will Young
Source Agencies
