Due to medical advice, Afghanistan’s captain and best spinner, Rashid Khan, will miss the one-off Test match against New Zealand next month. Their first 20-man selection for the Test in Noida did not include the leg-spinner.
“Rashid Khan’s doctors advised him to refrain from participating in long-format cricket, which is Test cricket, for one year following his back surgery last year,” stated Naseeb Khan, chief executive of the Afghanistan Cricket Board.
Rashid had lower back surgery following the ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup 2023 in India, which caused him to miss many matches. He returned to contribute significantly to the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup in the USA and the Caribbean in 2024. Still, he will participate in the most extended format in November.
According to Naseeb, Rashid will be available for the three-match ODI series against the Proteas next month, though. The Greater Noida Sports Complex Ground will host the Test match between the Blackcaps and the Indian team from September 9 to September 13. This is the first time these teams have faced each other since Afghanistan defeated New Zealand in the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup in 2024.
The preliminary test squad is made up of Hashmatullah Shahidi (c), 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, Naveed Zadran, Khalil Ahmad, and Yama Arab.
