Despite uncertainty regarding his availability, Rashid was included in the squad for the Zimbabwe test series.
The opening Test in Afghanistan’s two-match series against Zimbabwe, which starts on December 26 at the Queens Sports Club in Bulawayo, will not feature the country’s best leg-spinner, Rashid Khan. Rashid is unavailable due to personal reasons.
The 26-year-old was initially named in Afghanistan’s 18-man squad for the series, and he last played a Test match in 2021 against Zimbabwe. He has been away from red-ball cricket for a long time, though.
After suffering a back ailment, Rashid decided to take a break from Test cricket, as advised by his doctor. Because of this, he was unable to play in previous Test matches, including a series against New Zealand.
Rashid was included in the squad for the Zimbabwe test series despite uncertainty regarding his availability. Rashid’s absence was confirmed by an Afghanistan Cricket Board (ACB) official on December 24, who stated, “As far as I am aware, he is away for a charity event for the first Test.”
It’s interesting to note that on the same day the ACB uploaded images of the squad practicing in Bulawayo, Rashid posted a photograph of himself in the Netherlands on his Facebook profile.
Bulawayo will also host the series’ second Test, which is scheduled to begin on January 2, 2025.
Afghanistan’s 18-member squad for the Zimbabwe Tests includes seven uncapped players. With strong domestic cricket performances, left-arm bowler Bashir Ahmad and all-rounder Ismat Alam merited their berths.
Azmatullah Omarzai, Fareed Ahmad Malik, Riaz Hassan, and Sediqullah Atal are among the other players in the team. These players were also included in Afghanistan’s squad for the Test series against New Zealand earlier this year.
Since Jonathan Trott is unable to coach the series for personal reasons, Hamid Hassan will take over as interim head coach.
After losing the opening game in the T20I series against Zimbabwe, Afghanistan bounced back to win the series 2-1. Afghanistan will be hoping to perform well in the test series as well.
