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KABUL: Afghanistan Cricket Board (ACB) on Wednesday announced a 15-member squad for the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026, with Rashid Khan as captain.
The selected squad will also take part in the T20I series against West Indies, scheduled to begin on January 19, 2026, providing Afghanistan with a crucial opportunity to fine-tune combinations ahead of the World Cup.
The headline inclusions in the squad are the returning Gulbadin Naib and fast bowler Naveen-ul-Haq.
Naib’s recall adds experience and balance to the middle order, while Naveen makes his comeback after recovering from a shoulder injury, strengthening Afghanistan’s pace attack.
Fazalhaq Farooqi, who missed the recent Bangladesh series, has also been included, further bolstering the fast-bowling resources.
Another notable change sees Mujeeb Ur Rahman reclaiming his place in the main squad, replacing young spinner AM Ghazanfar, who has been named among the reserves.
ACB chief selector Ahmad Shah Sulimankhil described the selection process as challenging but necessary.
“Gulbadin Naib is a big-match player, and his return adds depth to our squad,” Sulimankhil said.
“We are also pleased to have Naveen-ul-Haq back, which improves the quality of our fast bowling. Leaving AM Ghazanfar out of the main squad was a difficult decision, but Mujeeb’s experience played a key role.”
Afghanistan have been drawn in Group D of the tournament, alongside New Zealand, South Africa, Canada and the UAE. Rashid Khan’s side will begin their World Cup campaign against New Zealand on February 8 in Chennai.
The team will be looking to build on their historic run in the 2024 edition, where Afghanistan reached the semi-finals for the first time in an ICC event.
During that campaign, they registered landmark victories over higher-ranked sides including New Zealand, West Indies, Australia and Bangladesh.
ACB CEO Naseeb Khan expressed optimism ahead of the tournament, particularly given the Asian conditions.
“We had a terrific run in the previous T20 World Cup and cherish those memories,” he said.
“This year’s tournament will be played in conditions familiar to our players, and hosting West Indies before the event gives us an excellent chance to prepare and finalise our best combination.”
Rashid Khan (C), Noor Ahmad, Abdullah Ahmadzai, Sediqullah Atal, Fazalhaq Farooqi, Rahmanullah Gurbaz, Naveen-ul-Haq, Mohammad Ishaq, Shahidullah Kamal, Mohammad Nabi, Gulbadin Naib, Azmatullah Omarzai, Mujeeb Ur Rahman, Darwish Rasooli, Ibrahim Zadran.
Reserves: AM Ghazanfar, Ijaz Ahmadzai, Zia Ur Rahman Sharifi.
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