ISLAMABAD: Afghanistan’s national cricket team arrived in the eastern city of Lahore on Wednesday to play their first Champions Trophy tournament, the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) said with only days left for the international tournament to kick off. 

The eight-nation tournament kicks off in the southern port city of Karachi on Feb. 19. Defending champions Pakistan will take on New Zealand in the city in the tournament opener whereas Afghanistan will kick off the event with their first encounter against South Africa in the same city. 

Led by skipper Hashmatullah Shahidi, Afghanistan will play their second match of the tournament against England in Lahore on Feb. 21 before meeting Australia on Feb. 28 in the eastern city. 

“Afghanistan’s cricket team have arrived in Lahore to take part in the Champions Trophy,” the PCB said in a statement. “This is the first time that Afghanistan are taking part in the Champions Trophy.”

Afghanistan were dealt a blow when teenage spinner AM Ghazanfar was ruled out of the tournament due to a back injury this week. 

“Afghanistan’s young spin-bowling sensation, AM Ghazanfar, has been ruled out of the ICC Champions Trophy due to a fracture in the L4 vertebra, specifically in the left pars interarticularis,” the team confirmed via a statement.

“He sustained the injury during Afghanistan’s recently held tour Zimbabwe, and will be sidelined for a minimum of four months and will remain under treatment during this period.”

Afghanistan’s spin department is already missing experienced spinner Mujeeb Ur Rahman. 

Squad: 

Afghanistan squad: Hashmatullah Shahidi (c), Ibrahim Zadran, Rahmanullah Gurbaz, Sediqullah Atal, Rahmat Shah, Ikram Alikhil, Gulbadin Naib, Azmatullah Omarzai, Mohammad Nabi, Rashid Khan, Nangyal Kharoti, Noor Ahmad, Fazalhaq Farooqi, Farid Malik, Naveed Zadran. Reserves: Darwish Rasooli, Bilal Sami