Afghanistan Announces Squad for Test Against New Zealand

Afghanistan's ace spinner Rashid Khan is a surprising omission from the 20-member preliminary squad for the one-off Test against New Zealand in Greater Noida from September 9-13, 2024. Despite being Afghanistan's highest wicket-taker in Test cricket, Rashid is not included due to a hamstring injury that ruled him out of The Hundred earlier this month. The Afghanistan Cricket Board (ACB) said the final 15-member squad will be announced after a week-long preparatory camp beginning on August 28 in Greater Noida. The squad, led by Hashmatullah Shahidi, also excludes Rahmanullah Gurbaz and Karim Janat but includes players like Ibrahim Zadran, Rahmat Shah, Gulbadin Naib, and Azmatullah Omarzai. ACB is hopeful Rashid will recover in time for the three-match ODI series against South Africa in the UAE from September 18-22. The Test match will be Afghanistan's 10th overall and their third of 2024.