Afghanistan have named a 16-man squad for New Zealand Test

Before the one-off Test against New Zealand, Afghanistan Cricket Board has announced a 16-member squad from the initial 20-member squad. The squad includes three uncapped players: opener Riaz Hasan, off-spin all-rounder Shamsur Rahman, and fast bowler Khalil Ahmed. Gulbadin Naib, who was part of the initial squad, has been excluded from the final squad.

Riaz Hasan has played five ODIs but has yet to make his Test debut. Shamsur Rahman and Khalil Ahmed will also be making their debut if they get a chance in this match.

The one-off Test between Afghanistan and New Zealand will be held in Greater Noida, India, from September 9 to September 13. This will be the first time these two teams face each other in Test cricket. The historic match will be officiated by Bangladesh’s Sharfuddoula Ibn Shahid Saikat.

Afghanistan has arrived in India ahead of New Zealand, and the team will be led by Hashmatullah Shahidi. Star leg-spinner Rashid Khan is missing from the squad due to injury, and in his absence, the spin attack will be led by Zahir Khan and Ziaur Rahman.

From the initial 20-member squad, the following four players have been excluded: Farid Ahmad Malik, Naveed Zadran, Yama Arab, and Gulbadin Naib. Naveed Zadran has been ruled out due to a side strain.