Fit-again Ibrahim Zadran, AM Ghazanfar in Afghanistan squad for Champions Trophy

January 13, 2025
12:02 am

Opening batter Ibrahim Zadran has regained fitness to return to Afghanistan’s ODI squad for the upcoming Champions Trophy in Pakistan and the UAE. This will be Afghanistan’s first-ever appearance in the Champions Trophy.

Ibrahim, 23, has not played for Afghanistan since he slipped during practice on a slushy pocket of the ground during the Greater Noida Test, which was washed out without a ball being bowled.

Zadran has worked his way back from that injury, for which he needed surgery in England, and was recently with Khulna Tigers in the ongoing Bangladesh Premier League (BPL). According to the ACB interim chief selector, mystery spinner Mujeeb Ur Rahman was “not available for selection” with Afghanistan bringing in a like-for-like replacement in AM Ghazanfar, who is currently in action for MI Emirates in the UAE’s ILT20. He was also picked by their parent franchise Mumbai Indians for IPL 2025.

“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,” Ahmad Suliman Khil explained. 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.”

The squad also includes 23-year-old Sediqullah Atal, who has had a remarkable few months across formats. In October in the Emerging team Asia Cup, which was a T20 tournament, Atal was the highest run-getter, with 368 runs in five innings at an average of 122.66 and strike rate of just under 148. In December, he was named Player of the Series for his in the three-match ODI series in Harare, which Afghanistan won 2-0.

Atal then made his Test debut in the Boxing Day fixture against Zimbabwe in Harare. He is currently with MI Cape Town in the SA20 2025 as a replacement player.

Afghanistan’s players will work with former Pakistan batter Younis Khan, who has been signed as a team mentor for the Champions Trophy. This is the third global tournament in a row where the ACB has appointed a mentor for the team from the host country: they had Ajay Jadeja as mentor for the 2023 ODI World Cup in India, and Dwayne Bravo as bowling consultant for the 2024 T20 World Cup in the West Indies and USA.

“The appointment of mentors has proven to be quite beneficial for us in both of the last two events,” ACB chairman Mirwais Ashraf said. “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.”

Hashmatullah Shahidi, who had captained Afghanistan in the 2023 ODI World Cup and more recently at the 2024 T20 World Cup, where Afghanistan progressed to the semi-finals, will continue to lead the team. Rahmat Shah has been retained as Shahidi’s deputy.

Ace spinner Rashid Khan will lead the spin attack along with Noor Ahmad. Fazalhaq Farooqi and Azmatullah Omarzai, meanwhile, can operate with the new ball. Abdul Malik, Darwish Rasooli, Nangyal Kharoti and Bilal Sami, who were all named in the squad for Afghanistan’s most recent ODI assignment in Zimbabwe, have been excluded from the main squad for the Champions Trophy.

Rasooli, Kharoti, and Sami, however, will travel with the squad as reserve players.

Afghanistan will open their Champions Trophy campaign with a clash against South Africa in Karachi on February 21 before they will head to Lahore for their last two league matches against England and Australia.

Hashmatullah Shahidi (capt), Rahmat Shah (vice-capt), 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