Afghanistan announced their squad for next month’s ICC Men’s Champions Trophy 2025, with prolific opener Ibrahim Zadran returning after an injury lay-off but spinner Mujeeb Ur Rahman missing out.
The country’s performance in white-ball cricket has been strong recently — finishing sixth in the ICC ODI World Cup in 2023 and reaching the semi-final in last year’s T20 World Cup.
This will be the first time Afghanistan participate in the eight-nation Champions Trophy, staged between February 19 and March 9 in Pakistan and the United Arab Emirates.
“Zadran, who was away from action due to an ankle injury, has returned to the squad,” said a statement from the Afghanistan Cricket Board (ACB).
“However, Mujeeb Ur Rahman misses out on the selection, as AM Ghazanfar, a similar mystery spinner, has made the cut for the mega event.”
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Rahman was left out because “he has been advised by his doctor to focus on T20s for a while to ensure his full recovery”, added acting ACB chief selector Ahmad Suliman Khil.
But the ACB said that the fast-rising opener Sediqullah Atal did secure a place in the squad.
Afghanistan beat England and Pakistan in the ODI World Cup and Australia and New Zealand in the T20 World Cup.
The ninth edition of the ICC Champions Trophy will kick off on 19 February with host and defending champions Pakistan taking on New Zealand in the curtain-raiser in Karachi’s National Bank Stadium.
Afghanistan will kick off their Champions Trophy campaign with a clash against South Africa in Karachi on February 21, before they face England and Australia in Lahore.
Afghanistan squad for Champions Trophy 2025
Hashmatullah Shahidi (c), Rahmat Shah (vc), Rahmanullah Gurbaz (wk), Ikram Alikhil (wk), Ibrahim Zadran, Sediqullah Atal, Azmatullah Omarzai, Mohammad Nabi, Gulbadin Naib, Rashid Khan, AM Ghazanfar, Noor Ahmad, Fazal Haq Farooqi, Naveed Zadran and Farid Ahmad Malik.
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