“We are honored to be [a] Naseeb Khan, CEO of the ACB, said: “We are very happy to be part of this partnership, and are pleased with the results of our recent discussions and negotiations with the Emirates Cricket Board.” “Playing this T20I series is the first step in our long-term commitment, and we look forward to a continued relationship with the ECB.”
For the UAE series, Afghanistan has selected a preliminary list of 22 players for a preparatory camp in the United Arab Emirates. Rashid Khan will lead the visitors, who head to the UAE next week for an acclimatization camp in Abu Dhabi ahead of the series. The squad would then be trimmed down to 17 members.
But Afghanistan are yet to name their coaching staff as contacts between head coach Jonathan Trott and bowling coach Umar Gul were not renewed last month. Assistant coach Raees Ahmadzai is leading the back-room staff along with local coaches.
Given the political situation in Afghanistan, it remains a no-go zone for international teams. The situation escalated with the Taliban takeover in August 2021, after which many ACB personnel fled the country. After this, getting visa for Afghanistan players to play abroad also became a challenge.
Afghanistan’s 22-man squad: Rashid Khan (captain), Rehmanullah Gurbaz (wk), Abdul Rehman Rahmani, Afsar Zazai, Azmatullah Umarzai, Bilal Sami, Fareed Ahmad Malik, Fazal Haq Farooqui, Gulbadin Naib, Hazratullah Zazai, Ibrahim Zadran, Mujeeb ur Rehman, Najibullah Zadran, Nangyal Kharoti, Naveen Ul Haq, Nijat Masood, Noor Ahmed, Rehmat Shah, Sediqullah Atal, Shahidullah Kamal, Sharafuddin Ashraf, Zaheer Khan
