Afghanistan Rest Rashid Khan for New Zealand Test, Name Preliminary Squad for one-off Test vs New Zealand

Afghanistan Rest Rashid Khan for New Zealand Test; Announce 20-Member Preliminary Squad / Getty Images

The Afghanistan Cricket Board (ACB) announced on Monday, August 26, that star all-rounder Rashid Khan has been rested for the upcoming one-off Test series against New Zealand, set to be played from September 9-13 in Greater Noida, India.

Rashid, who sustained a hamstring injury during The Hundred on August 12, is yet to regain the peak fitness required for the longer format despite playing a few matches in the Shpageeza Cricket League (SCL) 2024.

"Rashid is not fully fit for the rigors of Test cricket. We expect him to return for the ODI series against South Africa," said ACB spokesperson Sayed Naseem Sadaat.

Afghanistan named a 20-member preliminary squad for the Test, which will be trimmed to 15 after a week-long preparation camp starting on August 28 in Greater Noida. The final squad will be based on performance and fitness levels during the camp.

Preliminary Squad: Hashmatullah Shahidi (captain), Ibrahim Zadran, Riaz Hassan, Abdul Malik, Rahmat Shah, Baheer Shah Mahboob, Ikram Alikhel (wk), Shahidullah Kamal, Gulbadin Naib, Afsar Zazai (wk), Azmatullah Omarzai, Ziaurrahman Akbar, Shamsurrahman, Qais Ahmad, Zahir Khan, Nijat Masoud, Farid Ahmad Malik, Naveed Zadran, Khalil Ahmad, Yama Arab.


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