KABUL: Ace spinner Rashid Khan has been included in the Afghanistan squad for the three-match one-day series against South Africa this month, selectors said on Thursday.

The 25-year-old leg-spinner missed the one-off Test against New Zealand in India, which is likely to be washed out after four days of rain delays, because of medical advice to rest his back.

Rashid underwent back surgery in November after the ODI World Cup in India.

The Afghanistan Cricket Board (ACB) said Rashid returns to the squad but opener Ibrahim Zadran will miss the series in Sharjah.

“Afghanistan will have the services of its all-time greatest spinner Rashid but prolific opener Zadran was ruled out due to an ankle sprain in his left leg,” the ACB said in a news release.

Another spinner, Mujeeb Ur Rahman, is still recovering from a finger sprain, it said.

Batters Darwish Rasooli and Abdul Malik, who played strongly in domestic one-day competitions, have been included in Zadran’s absence.

Hashmatullah Shahidi will lead the squad.

The matches will be played on September 18, 20 and 22 at Sharjah stadium, which will become the first ground in the world to host 250 ODIs.

Squad: Hashmatullah Shahidi (captain), Rahmat Shah, Rahmanullah Gurbaz, Ikram Alikhil, Abdul Malik, Riaz Hassan, Darwish Rasooli, Azmatullah Omarzai, Mohammad Nabi, Gulbadin Naib, Rashid Khan, Nangeyalia Kharote, Allah Mohammad Ghazanfar, Fazalhaq Farooqi, Bilal Sami, Naveed Zadran, Fareed Ahmad.

Published in Dawn, September 13th, 2024