Afghanistan spinner Noor Ahmad has made his comeback to the national side as they announced a 16-member squad for the upcoming ODI series against Pakistan on Sunday, August 6. The three-match series will be played in Sri Lanka from August 22 to 26 to kickstart preparations for the 2023 Asia Cup.
The development comes after the 18-year-old was dropped for the recently concluded ODI series in Bangladesh. With the return, selectors have signaled Ahmad is in the plans for the Asia Cup and the World Cup.
Ahmad recently played two ODIs in Sri Lanka, returning with just two wickets in as many games. The left-arm wrist spinner, though, has been phenomenal in T20s. He scalped 16 wickets in 13 games for the Gujarat Titans (GT) at an economy rate of 7.82 in the last edition of the Indian Premier League (IPL).
The Afghanistan spinner also has a wealth of experience playing in the Big Bash League, Pakistan Super League, and The Hundred.
In a statement, the Afghanistan Cricket Board chief selector Asadullah Khan said:
“Our whole concentration is to prepare the team for the upcoming two big events of Asia Cup and the World Cup 2023. This three-match ODI series against Pakistan provides us with a wonderful opportunity to prepare the team for the forthcoming two events.”
He added:
“The preparations for the Pakistan series are progressing well; the players have recently performed well in the Kabul Camp, which has been supervised by ACB’s high performance centre staff. The team will also undergo a week-long conditioning camp prior to the Pakistan Series.”
Afghanistan squad vs Pakistan
Hashmatullah Shahidi (C), Rahmanullah Gurbaz (WK), Ikram Alikhil (WK), Ibrahim Zadran, Riaz Hassan, Rahmat Shah, Najibullah Zadran, Mohammad Nabi, Azmatullah Omarzai, Rashid Khan, Noor Ahmad, Mujeeb Ur Rehman, Fazal Haq Farooqi, Abdul Rahman, Mohammad Saleem Safi and Wafadar Momand.
Reserves: Farid Ahmad Malik and Shahidullah Kamal.
AFG vs PAK schedule
August 22 – 1st ODI, Hambantota, Sri Lanka
August 24 – 2nd ODI, Hambantota, Sri Lanka
August 26 – 3rd ODI, Colombo, Sri Lanka
Pakistan and Afghanistan have faced each other in four ODIs. The Men in Green have 100 percent win record against their neighbors.