Afghanistan National Cricket Team is due to play its first match of the T20I series against the UAE today at 06:30 PM (Afghanistan Time).

The Afghanistan Cricket Board late Thursday announced an 18-member national squad that also includes fast bowlers Fazal Haq Farooqi and Naveen Ul Haq, two of the three players who recently faced sanctions for their intention to opt out of the annual central contracts.

Earlier ACB announced bans on Farooqi and Haq as well as spin bowler Mujeeb Ur Rahman.

The three players “have approached the ACB and demonstrated a strong desire to represent their country again and have requested the previously assigned committee to reconsider its decision regarding the disciplinary measures imposed against them,” the ACB said.

Afghanistan’s Squad for the three-match T20I Series against UAE:
Ibrahim Zadran (C), Rahmanullah Gurbaz (WK), Mohammad Ishaq (WK), Hazratullah Zazai, Sediqullah Atal, Rahmat Shah, Darwish Rasooli, Najibullah Zadran, Mohammad Nabi, Karim Janat, Azmaullah Omarzai, Sharafuddin Ashraf, Fazal Haq Farooqi, Fareed Ahmad, Naveen Ul Haq, Noor Ahmad, Mohammad Saleem and Qais Ahmad. 

Rashid Khan, Ijaz Ahmad Ahmadzai, Ikram Alikhil and Gulbadin Naib have been included in the squad as reserves.

Afghanistan’s three-match T20I series against the UAE is scheduled to be played from December 29, 2023, to January 02 2024 at the Sharjah Cricket Stadium.