Online Reporter
Brandon Moyo, Zimpapers Sports Hub
THE Afghanistan Cricket Board (ACB) has confirmed its squads for next week’s one-off Test and three-match T20I series against Zimbabwe at Harare Sports Club.
The ACB’s National Selection Committee finalised the teams yesterday, naming a strong contingent that blends familiar names with fresh faces ahead of the high-profile tour.
Left-arm pacer Bashir Ahmad, who has recently featured in both ODIs and T20Is and was part of the Test side during Afghanistan’s last tour to Zimbabwe, keeps his place.
Right-arm seamer Zia Ur Rahman Sharifi, left-arm spinner Sharafuddin Ashraf, and leg spinner Khalil Gurbaz, who all impressed in the domestic red-ball season, have been rewarded with Test call-ups.
All-rounder Shahidullah Kamal has been included in both squads after a strong domestic campaign, while star leg spinner Rashid Khan has been rested to manage his workload ahead of upcoming international commitments.
Fast bowler Ibrahim Abdulrahimzai, Sediqullah Atal, and Shams Ur Rahman have been named in the reserves.
Middle order batter Ijaz Ahmadzai, who made his T20I debut earlier this year, returns to the short format setup.
Shahidullah Kamal also joins the T20I squad following an impressive showing in the SCL season.
ACB CEO Naseeb Khan said the selection reflects the board’s long-term investment in both domestic and international development.
“Alongside our domestic cricket and high-performance centre programmes, we’ve been successfully implementing our international plans.
“As a result, we’re now playing bilateral series consistently, and the outcomes of our long-term efforts have been very positive so far,” said Khan.
He added, “After the Bangladesh series, our national team will travel to Zimbabwe for a Test and a T20I series, before taking on other countries in sequence.”
The tour begins with the one-off Test from October 20–24, marking Zimbabwe’s 10th Test of a busy 2025 schedule that has already featured clashes against Ireland, Bangladesh, England, South Africa, and New Zealand. The teams will then meet in three T20Is on October 29, 31, and November 2.
Afghanistan’s visit comes less than a year after their previous tour, which included three T20Is and three ODIs in Harare before a historic two-Test series in Bulawayo over Boxing Day and New Year’s.
Afghanistan Test Squad:
Hashmatullah Shahidi (C), Rahmanullah Gurbaz, Ibrahim Zadran, Abdul Malik, Afsar Zazai (WK), Ikram Alikhel (WK), Bahir Shah, Shahidullah Kamal, Ismat Alam, Sharafuddin Ashraf, Zia Ur Rahman Akbar, Yamin Ahmadzai, Zia Ur Rahman Sharifi, Khalil Gurbaz, Bashir Ahmad.
Reserves: Ibrahim Abdulrahimzai, Sediqullah Atal, Shams Ur Rahman.
Afghanistan T20I Squad:
Rashid Khan (C), Ibrahim Zadran (VC), Rahmanullah Gurbaz (WK), Sediqullah Atal, Darwish Rasooli, Shahidullah Kamal, Ijaz Ahmad Ahmadzai, Azmatullah Omarzai, Mohammad Nabi, Sharafuddin Ashraf, Noor Ahmad, Mujeeb Ur Rahman, Bashir Ahmad, Fareed Ahmad Malik, Abdullah Ahmadzai.
