Afghanistan are going to play in their third consecutive ICC ODI World Cup in their short cricketing history. They have managed to qualify as a top eight team for the quadrennial event, set to be played in India in 2023, through the ICC ODI Super League, a competition played for three years between the 13 participating nations.
In their first-ever appearance at the ODI World Cup, which was played in Australia and New Zealand in 2015, the Afghanistan cricket team made history by winning their first-ever match against Scotland after making the event through the World Cricket League Championship. In four years’ time, they barely qualified for the ODI World Cup in England and Wales through the qualifier tournament, while their performances in the main tournament were poor, losing nine straight matches in a row.
Since 2019, Afghanistan has played some of their best cricket in the ODI format, beating teams like Ireland, Netherlands, Bangladesh, Zimbabwe, and Sri Lanka, a few of which are going to participate in the upcoming World Cup. With that in mind, SportsTiger looks at the probable squad for Afghanistan in the ICC ODI World Cup 2023:
Batters: Hashmatullah Shahidi (c), Ibrahim Zadran, Najibullah Zadran, Hazratullah Zazai, Noor Ali Zadran
The current captain of the Afghanistan cricket team, Hashmatullah Shahidi is one of the most accomplished batters in the ODI lineup. Najibullah Zadran has been the mainstay of the national team in the batting department for quite some time, irrespective of the format.
Ibrahim Zadran is young opening batter for Afghanistan, who boasts an average of 60-plus in the ODIs with three centuries in his first 11 matches. Hazratullah Zazai and Noor Ali Zadran have the experience of playing regular limited overs cricket, so their inclusion in the ODI World Cup squad won’t be a bad idea as far the selectors are concerned.
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Wicketkeepers: Rahmanullah Gurbaz, Mohammad Shahzad, Ikram Alikhil
For a young 21-year-old, Rahmanullah Gurbaz has become a very good performer at the top of the order for Afghanistan, while his wicket-keeping skills are improving steadily too. Ikram Alikhil doesn’t have the numbers in favour as a wicket-keeper batter, in front of the well-travelled Moahmmad Shahzad, but he is being preferred by the Afghani selectors in the build-up to the ICC ODI World Cup.
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All-rounders: Rashid Khan, Mohammad Nabi, Gulbadin Naib, Rahmat Shah, Samiullah Shinwari, Azmatullah Omarzai
The strength of Afghanistan cricket team lies in its all-rounders, with the likes of Rashid Khan and Mohammad Nabi being the poster boys for the sport in the country. The numbers for Rashid Khan in the ODI format are extraordinary, wherein he has played 87 matches to pick up a whopping 163 wickets, while scoring important runs at the lower middle order from time to time.
Gulbadin Naib, Rahmat Shah, and Samiullah Shinwari have been playing ODI cricket for Afghanistan for years, so their experience will be very valuable in the World Cup. Azmatullah Omarzai hasn’t set the stage alight in his brief one-day career, but he can get the call-up to the quadrennial event in India in case the preferred players aren’t available to play.
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Bowlers: Fazalhaq Farooqi, Naveen-ul-Haq, Fareed Ahmad, Noor Ahmad, Mujeeb Ur Rahman, Zahir Khan
Fazalhaq Farooqi and Naveen-ul-Haq have been two of the foremost fast bowlers for Afghanistan cricket team in ODI in recent times. They have been ably supported by Fareed Ahmad, who has made his return to the international setup after a long layoff.
In the spin bowling department, Mujeeb Ur Rahman has the talent and maturity of playing ODI cricket, alongside his world-renowned partner Rashid Khan, which will keep Afghanistan in good stead later this year in India. Meanwhile, Noor Ahmad and Zahir Khan haven’t yet had a chance to make a big impact in limited overs cricket, but they do have the skillset to be a part of the national team in upcoming tournaments.
