Rahmat Shah Appointed Afghanistans ODI and Test Captain, Gurbaz Named Vice-Captai

The Afghanistan Cricket Board (ACB) has appointed experienced middle-order batter Rahmat Shah as the new captain of the national team in both Test and ODI formats. Wicketkeeper-batter Rahmanullah Gurbaz has been named vice-captain in both formats. The appointments come after Hashmatullah Shahidi stepped down as captain yesterday.

Shahidi was appointed Afghanistan’s captain on May 31, 2021, and began his tenure with an ODI series victory over the Netherlands in January 2022. During nearly four years in charge, he led Afghan cricket to new heights.

Under Shahidi’s captaincy, Afghanistan won 27 of their 55 ODIs. One of the highlights of his tenure came at the ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup 2023, where Afghanistan recorded memorable victories over England, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, and the Netherlands to finish sixth in the tournament standings.

That impressive World Cup campaign secured Afghanistan’s qualification for the ICC Champions Trophy 2025 for the first time in the country’s history. In their tournament debut, Afghanistan made another statement by defeating England and eventually finished fifth overall.

During Shahidi’s leadership, Afghanistan also reached their highest-ever seventh position in the ICC Men’s ODI Team Rankings. Between 2024 and 2025, the team registered five consecutive ODI series victories against Ireland, South Africa, Bangladesh, Zimbabwe, and Bangladesh again. Among those achievements, the series win over South Africa marked Afghanistan’s first-ever bilateral series victory against the Proteas.

Afghanistan also won three consecutive ODI series against Bangladesh under Shahidi’s captaincy. After winning a series in Bangladesh in 2023, they went on to claim back-to-back series victories in the United Arab Emirates in 2024 and 2025.

In an official statement, the Afghanistan Cricket Board expressed its gratitude to Hashmatullah Shahidi for his leadership, dedication, and valuable contributions during his tenure, while wishing him continued success in the future. The Board also extended its best wishes to newly appointed captain Rahmat Shah and vice-captain Rahmanullah Gurbaz.

Rahmat Shah has served as Afghanistan’s vice-captain in both Test and ODI cricket since 2021. With extensive international experience and a deep understanding of the team’s leadership structure, the ACB believes he is well equipped to take on the captaincy.

Rahmat Shah and Rahmanullah Gurbaz will officially begin their new roles during Afghanistan’s upcoming series against Ireland. The Afghanistan Cricket Board is confident that the new leadership duo will guide the team to even greater success in the future.