Afghanistan announce 15-member squad for ICC Cricket World Cup 2023

Afghanistan will start their ICC Cricket World Cup 2023 campaign against Bangladesh.

Naveen ul Haq is back in the Afghanistan squad for the ICC Cricket World Cup in India after being absent for two years. Interestingly, despite Gulbadin Naib's strong performance in the ongoing Asia Cup, he didn't make the cut for the squad.

Hashmatullah Shahidi will be leading the squad, and there are four new additions compared to the team currently competing in Asia Cup. Notably, Karim Janat, Sharafuddin Ashraf, Suliman Safi, and Gulbadin Naib won't be part of the World Cup squad.

Azmatullah Omarzai is back in the squad following his recovery from an injury that side-lined him during Asia Cup. Additionally, Naveen, who hasn't participated in a list A game since 2021, has been included in the squad. On the contrary, Janat, who made a return for Asia Cup, has not been selected for the squad.

The majority of the squad has a familiar lineup, especially when it comes to the spin department, which boasts some exceptional talent. Alongside the seasoned spinners Rashid Khan and Mohammad Nabi, the squad also includes Mujeeb ur Rahman and Noor Ahmad.

Furthermore, the pace bowling unit has been strengthened by the comeback of Naveen and now includes Fazalhaq Farooqi, Abdul Rahman, and Omarzai.

Afghanistan ICC Cricket World Cup squad

Hashmatullah Shahidi (c), Rahmanullah Gurbaz, Ibrahim Zadran, Riaz Hassan, Rahmat Shah, Najibullah Zadran, Mohammad Nabi, Ikram Alikhil, Azmatullah Omarzai, Rashid Khan, Mujeeb ur Rahman, Noor Ahmad, Fazalhaq Farooqi, Abdul Rahman, Naveen ul Haq.

Reserve players: Gulbadin Naib, Sharafudin Ashraf, Farid Ahmad Malik.