Afghanistan Cricket Board (ACB) have announced a 14-member T20I squad and 16-member ODI squad for Afghanistan’s 11-day tour to Ireland.
Wafadar Momand and Sayed Shirzad have earned maiden call-ups to the ODI squad with plenty of fresh faces in both the units.
Wafadar, 18, made his international debut in Afghanistan’s maiden Test against India, picking up the crucial scalps of Shikhar Dhawan and Hardik Pandya. He impressed with his ability to move the ball at good pace, and the selectors obviously saw enough.
Shiraz, who has played three T20Is for Afghanistan, was also included in the ODI squad, as was top-order batsman Hashmatullah Shahid. Aftab Alam, who last played a 50-over game in 2015, was also recalled to the 16-man squad.
The T20I squad saw the return of Hazratullah Zazai, the 20-year-old left-handed batsman, who played a lone T20I back in 2016 against UAE. Mirwais Ashraf, the experienced medium pacer, was also brought back into the side, while Karim Janat and Shapoor Zadran, who were a part of the winning T20I side against Bangladesh earlier this year, have been dropped.
Rashid Khan, Mujeeb-ur-Rahman and Mohammad Nabi will form the spin trio, with Asghar Stanikzai leading both sides.
Afghanistan’s tour starts with three T20Is at Bready Cricket Club on 20 August followed by three ODIs, all of which will be staged in Belfast.
T20I squad: Asghar Stanikzai (c), Mohammad Shahzad (wk), Usman Ghani, Hazratullah Zazai, Shafiqullah Shafaq, Samiullah Shinwari, Mirwais Ashraf, Najibullah Zadran, Mohammad Nabi, Gulbadin Naib, Rashid Khan, Mujeeb Ur Rahman, Aftab Alam, Fareed Ahmad
ODI squad: Asghar Stanikzai (c), Mohammad Shahzad (wk), Javed Ahmadi, Ihsanullah, Rahmat Shah, Samiullah Shinwari, Hashmatullah Shahidi, Najibullah Zadran, Mohammad Nabi, Gulbadin Naib, Rashid Khan, Mujeeb Ur Rahman, Aftab Alam, Sayed Shirzad, Dawlat Zadran, Wafadar Moman
