Rashid Khan missed out when Afghanistan announced the starting squad for the one-Test series against New Zealand

Afghanistan‘s star all-rounder Rashid Khan he was left out of the 20-member squad for the upcoming one-off Test New Zealand. The Test, will begin on September 9 at the Greater Noida Sports Complex in Indiait is history for Afghanistan as it will be the first time they will meet New Zealand in the red ball format.

Rashid Khan’s exclusion from the Afghanistan Test squad

Rashid, Afghanistan’s leading wicket-taker in international cricket, is missing from the squad. His omission raised eyebrows, given his huge role in Afghanistan’s rise to world cricket. However, Afghanistan Cricket Board (ACB) officials confirmed that the party’s selection is part of a broader strategy for the future. The Afghanistan side will be led by Hashmatullah Shahidiwith a few young players given the opportunity to shine in the Test team. Among the named players are Ibrahim Zadran, Rahmat Shahand a veteran all-rounder Gulbadin Naib.

UPDATE: Afghanistan name new assistant coach for upcoming series against New Zealand

Afghanistan Cricket Board chief selector’s statement

Ahmad Shah SulimankhelThe Chief Selector of the Afghanistan Cricket Board, explained the reason behind the selection of the first team.

“20 players have been selected for the training camp, and a 15-member squad will be selected to play the only Test match against New Zealand after assessing their performance and fitness.,” said Sulimankhel in the official ACB statement.

He went on to say that he is happy to see the young players in the team who have done well in domestic cricket and who have had the opportunity to be part of the Test team in this game.

“I am happy to see some of the youngsters in the team who have done well in domestic cricket and get an opportunity to be part of the Test team in this game,” concluded Sulimankhel.

Afghanistan’s first team in one Test against New Zealand

Afghanistan: 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, Ziaurrahmsurrahman, Qais Akbar Ahmad, Zahir Khan, Nijat Masoud, Farid Ahmad Malik, Naveed Zadran, Khalil Ahmad, and Yama Arab.

The final 15-member squad is expected to be announced after a week-long preparatory camp in Greater Noida. The first team will arrive in India on August 28 to begin their preparations. The Greater Noida Sports Complex, which previously served as Afghanistan’s adopted home ground for limited overs cricket, will host its first ever Test match during the series. In addition to one Test, the series will also include three One-Day Internationals (ODIs), giving teams ample opportunity to showcase their skills across formats.

UPDATE: New Zealand announce 15-strong squad to play Afghanistan and Sri Lanka