Big blow for Afghanistan ahead of New Zealand Test
Afghanistan are scheduled to play a one-off Test match against New Zealand later in September at the Greater Noida Sports Complex Ground.
Afghanistan will be without their captain and premier spinner Rashid Khan for the one-off Test against New Zealand next month as per medical advice.
The leg-spinner was not named in their preliminary 20-member squad named for the Test in Noida.
"Following Rashid Khan's back operation last year, his doctors advised him to refrain from participating in long-format cricket, which is Test cricket, for one year," Afghanistan Cricket Board's Chief Executive Naseeb Khan said, as revealed by Cricbuzz.
"We are hoping that he will available for the two Tests against Zimbabwe in December," he said.
Sit back and enjoy every wicket of Rashid Khan at the ICC Men's T20 World Cup 2024!
Rashid had missed a large chunk of matches after the ICC Men's Cricket World Cup 2023 in India with a lower back surgery.
He returned to play a key role in the ICC Men's T20 World Cup 2024 in the Caribbean and the USA, but is expected to be out from the longest format until November.
However, according to Naseeb, Rashid will be available for the three-match ODI series against the Proteas next month.
The Test match against the Blackcaps will take place from September 9 to 13 at the Greater Noida Sports Complex Ground. This will be the first meeting between these sides since Afghanistan comprehensively beat New Zealand in the ICC Men's T20 World Cup 2024.
Preliminary Test squad: Hashmatullah Shahidi (c), 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 and Yama Arab.