No cricket enthusiast in this world will be unaware of the bitter altercation between Virat Kohli vs Naveen-Ul-haq which happened during the IPL 2023. Virat Kohli & Naveen-Ul-Haq indulged in a war of words during a fixture between LSG & RCB during the Indian Premier League 2023 & since then there has been a cold war of words going on between the duo. Now with Asia Cup 2023 round the corner, fans were anticipating a fierce on-field face-off between Virat Kohli & Naveen-Ul-Haq. But their desire to watch the face-off between the duo will remain unfulfilled as Naveen-Ul-Haq is not part of Afghanistan’s squad named for Asia Cup 2023.
Afghanistan has unveiled a 17-member squad for the upcoming Asia Cup 2023 slated to be played from August 30 to September 17. The squad is different from the squad that participated in the recently ended ODI series against Pakistan. Notably, players such as Fareed Ahmad, Azmatullah Omarzai, Shahidullah Kamal, and Wafadar Momand failed to secure spots in the squad for this prestigious continental championship, set to unfold in Pakistan and Sri Lanka.
A Glimpse of Afghanistan Squad for Asia Cup 2023
The absence of star player, Omarzai due to a side strain is a major setback for the team. However, there are certain positives as well with Karim Janat, Najibullah Zadran, and Sharafuddin Ashraf returning to the lineup. The return of Zadran bolsters Afghan’s middle-order who bags 2013 ODI runs at an average of 30.04. Additionally, Sharafuddin Ashraf provides a valuable all-round option to the squad.
While the rest of the squad is the same that has played ODIs in Pakistan with a number of seasoned campaigners participating in it. Rahmanullah & Gurbaz will open the innings while Riaz Hassan, Mohammad Nabi, skipper Hashmatullah Shahidi, and Najibullah are anticipated to shoulder responsibilities in the middle order.
Afghanistan’s spin bowling will be handled by the formidable trio of Rashid Khan, Mohammad Nabi, and Noor Ahmad. They will get valuable support from Mujeeb-Ur-Rahman. Meanwhile, Fazalhaq Farooqi will lead the pace attack with sheer support from the likes of Gulbadin Naib, Karim Janat, Abdul Rahman, and Mohammad Saleem.
Afghanistan will kickstart their campaign in Asia Cup 2023 on September 3 against Bangladesh at the Gaddafi Stadium in Lahore. Though the Virat Kohli vs Naveenul-Haq will be missed by the fans, cricket fans will be gearing up for action-packed cricket to be played in the Asia Cup 2023.
Afghanistan Squad for Asia Cup 2023:
Hashmatullah Shahidi (c), Rahmanullah Gurbaz, Ibrahim Zadran, Riaz Hassan, Rahmat Shah, Najibullah Zadran, Mohammad Nabi, Ikram Alikhil, Rashid Khan, Gulbadin Naib, Karim Janat, Abdul Rahman, Sharafuddin Ashraf, Mujeeb ur Rahman, Noor Ahmad, Suliman Safi, Fazalhaq Farooqi
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