ISLAMABAD: The Afghanistan Cricket Board (ACB) announced its 18-member squad for the upcoming Pakistan series on Sunday, with lethal spinner Rashid Khan returning to the squad after injury.
Khan, 24, is widely regarded as the world's top spinner in white-ball format. The former Afghanistan captain featured in the Major League Twenty20 event in the United States but last week withdrew from The Hundred tournament in the UK with an unspecified injury.
Pakistan and Afghanistan will play their first-ever bilateral series in Sri Lanka. The series will be important for the two sides as they gear up for two important international cricket tournaments—the Asia Cup later this month and the ICC Men's ODI Cricket World Cup to be held in India in October.
"Our whole concentration is to prepare the team for the upcoming two big events of Asia Cup and the World Cup 2023," the ACB said in a statement. "This three-match ODI series against Pakistan provides us with a wonderful opportunity to prepare the team for the forthcoming two events."
Pakistan and Afghanistan will face each other in the first two ODIs in Hambantota on August 22 and 24. The third match is scheduled to be held in Colombo on August 26. Pakistan and Afghanistan have played only four ODIs so far, including two encounters at the Asia Cup and one at the 2019 World Cup.
Pakistan on Sunday announced it would send its cricket squad to the upcoming 50-over World Cup in India. However, Pakistan's foreign office said it had "deep" concerns over the green shirts' security during their visit in India.
Afghanistan squad: Hashmatullah Shahidi (C), Rahmanullah Gurbaz (WK), Ikram Alikhil (WK), Ibrahim Zadran, Riaz Hassan, Rahmat Shah, Najibullah Zadran, Mohammad Nabi, Azmatullah Omarzai, Rashid Khan, Noor Ahmad, Mujeeb Ur Rehman, Fazal Haq Farooqi, Abdul Rahman, Mohammad Saleem Safi and Wafadar Momand.
Reserves include Farid Ahmad Malik and Shahidullah Kamal.
