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[PICTURE/VIDEOS] ICC Champions Trophy 2025: Afghanistan name their 15-member squad

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ACB Name Squad for the ICC Champions Trophy 2025

The Afghanistan Cricket Board’s National Selection Committee today finalized the Afghanistan National Team’s squad for the upcoming ICC Champions Trophy, which is scheduled to be played from February 19 to March 09 this year in Pakistan and UAE.

Afghanistan’s prolific top-order batter, Ibrahim Zadran, who was away from action due to an ankle injury, has returned to the squad. However, Mujeeb Ur Rahman misses out on the selection, as AM Ghazanfar, a similar mystery spinner, has made the cut for the mega event.

The squad also includes Sediqullah Atal, who recently had an impressive performance in the three-match ODI series against Zimbabwe, earning the Player of the Series title by scoring a total of 156 runs, including a century and a half-century in two games.

ACB Chairman Mr. Mirwais Ashraf stated, “AfghanAtalan have performed exceptionally well in the past two ICC events, the CWC23 and the ICC World T20 2024. Their impressive performances in these two event coupled with their ODI series victories last year will undoubtedly boost their morale and help them deliver an even better campaign this time.”

He also added, “The appointment of mentors has proven to be quite beneficial for us in both of the last two events. Given this success, we have appointed Mr. Younis Khan, who has extensive international and local experience, and we look forward to making full use of his expertise during the event.”

ACB Interim Chief Selector Mr. Ahmad Suliman Khil commented, “Mujeeb Ur Rahman was not available for the selection as he has been advised by his doctor to focus on T20s for a while to ensure his full recovery before returning to ODIs. That was also the reason he missed on the recently concluded ODI series against Zimbabwe.”

“Conditions in Pakistan are similar to those in Afghanistan and the UAE, where we usually play. We will conduct a preparation camp in multiple phases before embarking on our journey for the big event. The expectations are high, and I hope the team will prepare well and deliver some excellent performances, just as they did in the last two World Cups.” He added.

Afghanistan’s 15-man Squad for the ICC Champions Trophy 2025:

Hashmatullah Shahidi (C), Rahmat Shah (VC), Rahmanullah Gurbaz (WK), Ikram Alikhil (WK), Ibrahim Zadran, Sediqullah Atal, Azmatullah Omarzai, Mohammad Nabi, Gulbadin Naib, Rashid Khan, AM Ghazanfar, Noor Ahmad, Fazal Haq Farooqi, Naveed Zadran and Farid Ahmad Malik.

Darwish Rasooli, Nangyal Kharoti and Bilal Sami are part of the reserve pool for the event.


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Hashmatullah Shahidi will captain Afghanistan in their first-ever ICC Men's Champions Trophy campaign, with the Afghanistan Cricket Board (ACB) announcing the 15-player squad on Sunday.

Afghanistan enters the tournament following strong performances in the 2023 ICC Men's Cricket World Cup and last year's Men's T20 World Cup, where they reached the semifinals.

Afghanistan squad:

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Good team. I backing them to reach in Semifinals ahead of England , South Africa.
 
Best spin attack in the tournament. I can see them causing atleast one upset in that group.


1. Rahmanullah Gurbaz (wk)
2. Ibrahim Zadran
3. Rahmat Shah
4. Hashmatullah Shahidi (c)
5. Azmatullah Omarzai
6. Mohammad Nabi
7. Gulbadin Naib
8. Rashid Khan
9. Noor Ahmad
10. AM Ghazanfar
11. Fazalhaq Farooqi
 
Best spin attack in the tournament. I can see them causing atleast one upset in that group.


1. Rahmanullah Gurbaz (wk)
2. Ibrahim Zadran
3. Rahmat Shah
4. Hashmatullah Shahidi (c)
5. Azmatullah Omarzai
6. Mohammad Nabi
7. Gulbadin Naib
8. Rashid Khan
9. Noor Ahmad
10. AM Ghazanfar
11. Fazalhaq Farooqi

Omarzai
Nabi
Rashid

These 3 alone are capable of adding 90-120 runs in the last 15 overs.
 
Naveed Zadran? Any info on this guy? looks like Afghanistan have unearthen another pacer. This should be good.

The batting seems to be garbage, with the same guys being recycled so alot of responsibility on Gurbaz and Ibrahim. Darwish Rasooli should be in the main team not in the reserves. He is 25 years old and Afg are wasting him by always placing him in the reserves.

Its the same old story for Afg. Great spinners, no 3 man pace attack and batters are just gonna try to survive. I do hope they pull off wins, but no new batting talent.
 
Omarzai
Nabi
Rashid

These 3 alone are capable of adding 90-120 runs in the last 15 overs.
Yeah but overall, even on their best day, their limit is a total of 290. Good thing their bowling is good enough to defend even lower totals than that.

Also, Omarzai in white-ball is probably one of the best all-rounders in the world right now.
 
How do these Afghans keep churning out these amount of decent spinners while Pak can't even get a decent one in all these years.

Now they got a like for like replacement of Mujeeb in Ghazanfar.
 
Amazing squad !

Gurbaz, Sediqullah will be world class batters in some time.

Zadran and Rahmat are pretty good too, I rate them as dark horse for this tournament, they will do more damage than Bangladesh.
 
The team that i will be supporting in this champions trophy.
 
Pretty good squad overall for the Afghans... Expect an upset from these guys against some big team.
 
Former Indian opener Aakash Chopra, while speaking on his YouTube channel:

“They have Rashid Khan, Noor Ahmad, Allah Ghazanfar, and Mohammad Nabi each one a top-class spinner, While India often selects bowlers who can contribute with the bat, Afghanistan’s spinners are purely specialists. They have the ability to bowl 40 overs of quality spin, and even the slightest pitch assistance will put the opposition under immense pressure.”

“Some might argue that their all-rounders are bits and pieces players, but that’s not the case, Azmatullah Omarzai is a genuine batter, Gulbadin Naib is capable with both bat and ball, Mohammad Nabi is a well-rounded all-rounder, and Rahmanullah Gurbaz is a solid wicketkeeper-batter. Even Rashid Khan is a handy contributor with the bat.”

“Sometimes, subcontinental all-rounders struggle in places like Australia and England, but this team is built differently. They have players who can thrive in these conditions and make a real impact.”
 
Spinner swap confirmed as Afghanistan lock in Champions Trophy squad

Afghanistan have finalised their squad for the ICC Champions Trophy, with teenage spinner AM Ghazanfar ruled out of the tournament due to a back injury.

Ghazanfar will miss the eight-team event held in Pakistan and the UAE in what is a blow to Afghanistan's spin department that is already missing experienced spinner Mujeeb Ur Rahman.

Left-armer Nangyal Kharote is drafted into Afghanistan's squad for the Champions Trophy, with the 20-year-old looking to add to his seven ODI caps for his country and first since he featured against Bangladesh in Sharjah towards the end of last year.

"Afghanistan's young spin-bowling sensation, AM Ghazanfar, has been ruled out of the ICC Champions Trophy due to a fracture in the L4 vertebra, specifically in the left pars interarticularis," the team confirmed via a statement.

"He sustained the injury during Afghanistan’s recently held tour Zimbabwe, and will be sidelined for a minimum of four months and will remain under treatment during this period.

"Nangyal Kharoti, who was part of the reserves pool, has been promoted to the main squad for the Champions Trophy. Additionally, Mujeeb Ur Rahman's continues to miss the ODI action, until he has fully recovered."

Afghanistan commence their Champions Trophy campaign against South Africa in Karachi, with further Group B contests against England and Australia to follow in Lahore.

Afghanistan squad: Hashmatullah Shahidi (c), Ibrahim Zadran, Rahmanullah Gurbaz, Sediqullah Atal, Rahmat Shah, Ikram Alikhil, Gulbadin Naib, Azmatullah Omarzai, Mohammad Nabi, Rashid Khan, Nangyal Kharote, Noor Ahmad, Fazalhaq Farooqi, Farid Malik, Naveed Zadran. Reserves: Darwish Rasooli, Bilal Sami

Afghanistan's Group Stage Fixtures:

21 February - Afghanistan vs South Africa, Karachi

26 February - Afghanistan vs England, Lahore

28 February - Afghanistan vs Australia, Lahore

SOURCE: https://www.icc-cricket.com/news/sp...as-afghanistan-lock-in-champions-trophy-squad
 
Squad Update:

The Afghanistan cricket team has arrived in Lahore to participate in the ICC Champions Trophy.
This is the first time Afghanistan's team is participating in the ICC Champions Trophy.
The team is led by Hashmatullah Shahidi.
Afghanistan's first match will be against South Africa in Karachi on February 21.
 
Top performers for Afghanistan in the warm-up game against Pakistan:

Fareed Ahmad (3/56), Azmatullah Omarzai (2/32) and Noor Ahmad (2/37).
 
Player to watch: Azmatullah Omarzai

Adjudged as the ICC Men’s ODI Player of the Year for 2024, Azmatullah Omarzai has been a crucial pillar for Afghanistan’s recent success in the format.

At the last Cricket World Cup, the all-rounder had finished with 353 runs to go with nine wickets to inspire a streak of big results.

In the absence of Naveen-ul-Haq, Omarzai will also have added responsibility in Afghanistan’s pace unit.

ICC
 

Afghan players know things are 'not correct' - Trott​


Afghanistan's players know "full well" things are "not correct" in their home country, says coach Jonathan Trott amid criticism of women's rights under Taliban rule.

Female participation in sport has effectively been outlawed in the country since the Taliban returned to power in 2021.

At the start of this year, nearly 200 UK politicians demanded England boycott Wednesday's Champions Trophy match between the sides.

However, the one-day international will go ahead in Lahore, Pakistan and former England batter Trott told the BBC: "Hopefully we can make a difference.

"I know the players want to do that. They have expressed that on their social media platforms.

"All they are doing is asking for equality and trying to grow the game of cricket, for fairness and an uplift in their country."

Trott has coached Afghanistan since 2022 but still lives in Birmingham. He travels when the players meet for camps in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) which is home to their main training base and hosts many of their fixtures.

The majority of the players live in Afghanistan and play in the domestic cricket leagues.

Under Taliban rule, there has been an assault on women's rights. Women have been banned from parks and universities. The Taliban also raided the homes of female athletes and many women's cricketers fled Afghanistan for their safety.

Some of Afghanistan's highest profile men's players, including superstar leg-spinner Rashid Khan, have spoken out against the issues.

The men's team has been allowed to continue to compete on the world stage, despite the banning of its women's team being an apparent breach of International Cricket Council (ICC) regulations.

"These guys are brave," Trott said. "They know the difference between right and wrong. It is a real tricky situation for them.

"They know who they are playing for and representing.

"We work hard to bring joy to the country and the guys are passionate, brave and proud of being able to do that, but knowing full well that there are things that are not correct."

Asked if his side could bring change in Afghanistan, Trott said: "I don't know but I hope it could.

"This side has that ability at the moment."

The Afghan female cricketers who fled to Australia played a match there last month. They have said they are "proud" of the men's team but wanted to be treated the same.

In January, a cross-party letter, signed by nearly 200 UK politicians, was sent to the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) calling for England to refuse to play the match.

The ECB has been critical of the ICC's response, calling for it to take unified action, but when that was not forthcoming agreed the match would go ahead.

Trott was born in South Africa, which was banned from the global sporting stage because of the apartheid regime. In contrast, the ICC's stance is that the Afghanistan team should not be punished for government policy.

"I can see the world's concern," Trott said. "I am concerned. I have daughters who play cricket.

"I am proud of where I come from and the change the country made for the betterment of everybody. Hopefully one day I can see that in Afghanistan."

After defeats by Australia and South Africa respectively, both England and Afghanistan will likely have to win both of their remaining matches to progress to the semi-finals.

England are expected to make one change for Wednesday's match in Lahore after bowler Brydon Carse was ruled out of the tournament with a toe injury.

Rehan Ahmed has been called up in his place, but the leg-spinner is not expected to arrive in Pakistan until Wednesday so Jamie Overton is most likely to replace Carse.

 
Afghanistan is officially out of the ICC Champions Trophy 2025, but I really appreciate the brand of cricket they have played throughout the tournament.
 
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