The UAE will host Afghanistan for three T20Is in Abu Dhabi from 16 February as part of an agreement signed by the two cricket commissions last November. Support for the next five years, including hosting of “home games” for that period. As a result, Afghanistan has committed to play against the UAE in her T20I series of three games each year until her contract expires.
ACB CEO Naseeb Khan said: “Playing in his T20I series is the first step in our long-term commitment and we look forward to continuing to work with the ECB.”
For the first time since March 2018, the team will be coming together across the board. However, the series will not be part of the ICC’s FTP for the 2023-27 cycle, which will play 21 Tests, 45 ODIs and 57 T20Is. It’s also Afghanistan’s first trip of the year, with another three-game T20I series against Pakistan in March. The series can be held at a neutral venue, with Afghanistan and Pakistan boards splitting the proceeds evenly.
In the UAE series, Afghanistan has selected a provisional list of 22 players for their pre-camp in the UAE, with Rashid Khan traveling to the United Arab Emirates for training in Abu Dhabi next week for his camp ahead of the series. Lead the visitors on their way. The team is then reduced to his 17 members.
Meanwhile, head coach Jonathan Trott, bowling coach Oumar Gul and field coach Ryan Maron all renewed their contracts last month. The ACB deliberated on the matter and, at the time, the team was under the control of assistant coach Raees Ahmadzai, and Trott and Maron were allowed to remain with the team until the end of the 2023 ODI World Championship*. Gul’s contract has expired.
The timing of the UAE series means several Afghan players will miss the first week of the Pakistan Super League, which starts in Multan on February 13.
It remains a no-go zone for international teams given the political climate in Afghanistan. The situation he escalated with the Taliban takeover in August 2021, causing several of his ACB employees to flee the country. After that, it became difficult for even Afghan players to obtain visas to play abroad.
ACB then arranged his UAE residency visas for around 20 players and staff, making the UAE their second home. In fact, Australia canceled its three-match ODI series against Afghanistan scheduled for March after the Taliban banned women from college education.
Afghanistan’s 22-member squad: Rashid Khan (capt), Rahmanullah Gurbaz (wk), Abdul Rahman Rahmani, Afsar Zazai, Azmatullah Omarzai, Bilal Sami, Farid Ahmad Malik, Fazal Haq Farooqi, Gulbadin Naib, Hazratullah Zazai, Ibrahim Zadran, Mujeeb ur Rahman, Najibullah Zadran, Nangyal Kharoti, Naveen Ul Haq, Nijat Masoud, Noor Ahmad, Rahmat Shah, Sediqullah Atal, Shahidullah Kamal, Sharafuddin Ashraf, Zahir Khan