Daily Times

KABUL: Afghanistan has included three uncapped players in a strong 17-member squad for the 2018 Asia Cup. Sayed Sherzad, Munir Ahmad and Wafadar earned call-ups to the One-Day International side in an otherwise familiar looking lineup for the marquee event which will be staged in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) from 15 September. Amongst the three, Wafadar and Sherzad have turned out for the national side in Test and Twenty20 Internationals respectively whereas Ahmad is yet to represent Afghanistan. Wafadar impressed one and all in Afghanistan’ maiden Test against India earlier this year and was included in the ODI squad that visited Ireland recently, though he did not get a game. 23-year-old Sherzad is a left-arm pacer, who has played three T20Is for the national side in which he has returned seven wickets. The duo, along with Aftab Alam will form the pace department.

Ahmad, 22, a wicket-keeper batsman, has been included in the side as backup for Mohammad Shahzad and comes with impressive List A numbers.

Left-arm spinner Sharafuddin Ashraf was also called back into the side, with Afghanistan understandably going with a spin-heavy outfit. Alongside regulars Rashid Khan, Mohammad Nabi and Mujeeb Ur Rahman, Ashraf will provide the variety on surfaces which are bound to aid spin. Of the Afghanistan squad that won the ODI series in Ireland 2-1 recently, Dawlat Zadran is the only one to miss out. Afghanistan are in Group B alongside Sri Lanka and Bangladesh and will kickstart their campaign against the former on September 17.

Squad: Mohammad Shahzad, Javed Ahmadi, Asghar Afghan(c), Rahmat Shah, Samiullah Shenwari, Hashmatullah Shahidi, Najibullah Zadran, Mohammad Nabi, Gulbadin Naib, Rashid Khan, Mujeeb Ur Rahman, Aftab Alam, Ihsanullah Janat, Sayed Shirzad, Wafadar, Munir Ahmad Kakar.

Published in Daily Times, September 3^rd 2018.