With the return of off-spinner Mujeeb Ur Rahman and seamer Fazalhaq Farooqi for the prestigious Twenty20 World Cup, Afghanistan will field a formidable team led by all-rounder Rashid Khan.
For the 20-team competition that will take place in India and Sri Lanka, seamer Naveen-ul-Haq and all-rounder Gulbadin Naib were both included in the 15-player squad.
Afghanistan had defeated elite teams including Australia, New Zealand, and the West Indies to advance to the 2022 World Cup semifinals.
Next month, the same team will travel to the United Arab Emirates to play a three-match Twenty20 series against the West Indies.
“Afghanistan had a terrific run in the previous edition of the T20 World Cup,” Afghanistan Cricket Board chief executive Naseeb Khan said in a statement on Wednesday.
“We cherish excellent memories from the past and hope for even better results this year, which will be played in Asian conditions. Hosting the West Indies team provides us with an incredible opportunity to fine-tune our combination and prepare adequately for the World Cup.”
On February 8 in Chennai, Afghanistan will play their first World Cup match against New Zealand.
Squad: Rashid Khan (Captain), Ibrahim Zadran (VC), Rahmanullah Gurbaz (WK), Mohammad Ishaq (WK), Sediqullah Atal, Darwish Rasooli, Shahidullah Kamal, Azmatullah Omarzai, Gulbadin Naib, Mohammad Nabi, Noor Ahmad, Mujeeb Ur Rahman, Naveen Ul Haq, Fazal Haq Farooqi and Abdullah Ahmadzai
Reserves: AM Ghazanfar, Ijaz Ahmadzai and Zia Ur Rahman Sharifi
