Afghanistan announces final squad for T20 World Cup
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Afghan's T-20 Captain Mohammad Nabi/ Image from IANS
Kabul: the Afghanistan Cricket Board on Sunday announced its final 15-member squad for the ICC Mens T20 World Cup 2021, scheduled to be held from October 17 in UAE and Oman with Veteran Mohammad Nabi, the No. 1 ranked T20 all-rounder as captain
Afghanistan will get their tournament underway in Sharjah on October 25 against the winners of Group B from the tournament's first-round -- one of Bangladesh, Oman, Papua New Guinea, or Scotland.
Nabi and company will also be joined in Group 2 by India, New Zealand, and Pakistan, plus the runners-up from the other qualifying pool (either Ireland, Namibia, Netherlands, or Sri Lanka).
Afghanistan has won three men's T20 internationals in their history against the full members of the tour'ament's Super 12, out of a total of 14 fixtures. All three of those victories came against the West Indies.
Star bowler Rashid Khan will spearhead the spin attack, along with fellow all-rounder and skipper Nabi and, Mujeeb Ur Rahman. Shapoor Zadran and Qais Ahmed failed to make the cut in the final 15 while Farid Ahmed Malik, who was previously named as a reserve, making it to the 15, the Afghanistan Cricket Board said.
Afsar Zazai, who was added as a reserve, did not find a place in either of Afghanistan's lists. Sharafuddin Ashraf and Dawlat Zadran, who were in the provisional 15, have been moved to the reserved players' category.