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BSP-19
CRICKET-IND-AFG,SQUAD
Teen star Khan leads Afghan attack in historic India Test
KABUL, May 29, 2018 (BSS/AFP) – Teen sensation Rashid Khan will lead a
heavyweight spin attack for Afghanistan in the country’s first-ever Test
against India next month, the Afghan cricket board announced Tuesday.
Khan and fellow spinners Mujeeb ur Rahman, Zahir Khan and Hamza Hotak were
named in a 16-strong squad for the historic one-off Test in Bangalore
starting June 14.
The 19-year-old Khan was a star performer in the Indian Premier League with
21 wickets for Sunrisers Hyderabad, who lost in Sunday’s final to Chennai
Super Kings.
Rahman, 17, also impressed in the cash-rich league with 14 scalps for Kings
XI Punjab.
Asghar Stanikzai will captain the Test debutants in the five-day game which
will be preceded by three Twenty20 internationals against Bangladesh.
The T20 games will be played in the northern Indian city of Dehradun on
June 3, 5 and 7.
Afghanistan have had their training base in India since 2015, and were
given Test status last year with Ireland, who lost their first five-day match
to Pakistan earlier this month.
Afghanistan will be underdogs in the Test against India, but they will
start as favourites against Bangladesh in the T20 clashes.
Test squad:
Asghar Stanikzai (capt), Mohammad Shahzad, Javed Ahmadi, Ihsanullah Jannat,
Rahmat Shah, Nasir Jamal, Hashmatullah Shahidi, Afsar Zazai, Mohammad Nabi,
Rashid Khan, Zahir Khan, Hamza Hotak, Syed Ahmad Sherzad, Yamin Ahmadzai,
Wafadar Momand, Mujeeb ur Rahman
Squad for Bangladesh T20s:
Asghar Stanikzai (capt), Mohammad Shahzad, Najeebullah Tarakai, Usman
Ghani, Najibullah Zadran, Samiullah Shinwari, Shafiqullah Shafaq, Darwish
Rasooli, Mohammad Nabi, Gulbadin Naib, Karim Jannat, Rashid Khan, Sharafuddin
Ashraf, Mujeeb ur Rahman, Shapoor Zadran, Aftab Alam
BSS/AFP/SSS/1629 hrs