Afghanistan name 18-man squad for T20I series against UAE; Mohammad Nabi not included

Afghanistan have named an 18-man squad for the upcoming three-match T20I series against the United Arab Emirates (UAE), starting on Thursday, February 16.

The Afghans have made seven changes from the T20 World Cup 2022 squad, with Mohammad Nabi's omission being the highlight.

The all-rounder had relinquished his leadership role after Afghanistan's exit from the tournament in Australia, leading to Rashid Khan being once again appointed as the captain.

Afsar Zazai, Noor Ahmad, Nijat Masood, and Karim Janat all mark their return to the side.

Spinners Zakir Khan and Rahmat Shah, who are a part of the ODI setup, have also been included in the squad and could potentially make their T20I debuts during the series. Sharaffudin Ashraf, a member of the traveling reserves for the T20 World Cup, has also found a place in the side.

Qais Ahmad, Darwish Rasooli, Mohammad Saleem, and Usman Ghani are the other notable absentees from the squad. Mirwais Ashraf, the Afghanistan Cricket Board (ACB) chairman, said:

"We don't take any team lightly and have always tended to completely prepare the squad for any event," he said. "The team has been in the UAE for around 10 days as it was getting ready for the series."

The ACB and the Emirates Cricket Board (ECB) came to a five-year agreement in November 2022. The deal involves an annual three-match T20I series between the two sides.

All three matches of the upcoming series will be played in Abu Dhabi. The UAE recently hosted the inaugural edition of the International League T20 (ILT20), which was won by the Gulf Giants. The tournament saw Afghanistan captain Rashid feature for the MI Emirates in the knockout stages as well.

The leg-spinner led the nation in seven matches during his first stint as T20I captain. He has secured four wins under his belt, including a 2-1 series triumph over West Indies in 2019.

Afghanistan squad for UAE T20Is

Rashid Khan (C), Rahmanullah Gurbaz (wk), Afsar Zazai, Azmatullah Omarzai, Fareed Ahmad, Fazalhaq Farooqi, Gulbadin Naib, Hazratullah Zazai, Ibrahim Zadran, Karim Janat, Mujeeb Ur Rahman, Najibullah Zadran, Naveen-ul-Haq, Nijat Masood, Noor Ahmad, Rahmat Shah, Sharafuddin Ashraf, Zahir Khan.

Who will win the T20I series between Afghanistan and the United Arab Emirates (UAE)? Let us know what you think.

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