Afghanistan is recognized as a rapidly developing cricketing nation that has progressed significantly in a short period. The national cricket team has been hailed as the “rising star of Asian cricket.” Cricket in Afghanistan is considered the largest peaceful movement, especially among its young population. Currently ranked eighth in the ICC ODI rankings, Afghanistan has been steadily making its mark in the 50-over format, building on its recognized skills in T20 cricket. The team is seen as a dark horse for the Champions Trophy 2025 and has expressed its ambition to win the event, not just participate. The squad is noted for being well-balanced, featuring experienced batters, a reliable pace attack, and quality all-rounders. They possess strong spin-bowling options and an explosive batting lineup, which is particularly crucial for flat, high-scoring pitches like those in Pakistan.
| PLAYER NAME | ROLE | STYLE | JERSEY NUMBER |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hashmatullah Shahidi (Captain) | Batter | Batting: Left-hand Bat Bowling: Slow Left arm Orthodox | 50 |
| Rahmat Shah (Vice Captain) | Allrounder | Batting: Right hand Bat Bowling: Legbreak Googly | 8 |
| Azmatullah Omarzai | Allrounder | Batting: Right-hand bat Bowling: Right arm Medium fast | 77 |
| Fareed Ahmad | Bowler | Batting: Left-hand bat Bowling: Left arm Fast medium | 14 |
| Fazalhaq Farooqi | Bowler | Batting: Right-hand bat Bowling: Left arm Fast medium | 5 |
| Ikram Alikhil | Wicketkeeper | Batting: Left-hand bat | 46 |
| Ibrahim Zadran | Batter | Batting: Right-hand bat Bowling: Right arm Medium fast | 17 |
| Mohammad Nabi | Allrounder | Batting: Right-hand bat Bowling: Right-arm off-break | 7 |
| Mujeeb Ur Rahman | Bowler | Batting: Right-hand bat Bowling: Right-arm off-break | 88 |
| Najibullah Zadran | Batter | Batting: Left-hand bat Bowling: Right-arm off-break | 1 |
| Riaz Hassan | Batter | Batting: Right-hand bat | 76 |
| Rahmanullah Gurbaz | Wicketkeeper | Batting: Right-hand bat Bowling: – | 21 |
| Rahmat Shah (Vice Captain) | Allrounder | Batting: Right-hand bat Bowling: Legbreak Googly | 8 |
| Rashid Khan | Bowler | Batting: Right-hand bat Bowling: Legbreak Googly | 19 |
| Gulbadin Naib | Allrounder | Batting: Right-hand Bat Bowling: Right arm Fast medium | 24 |
| Abdul Rahman | Bowler | Batting: Right hand Bat Bowling: Right arm Fast medium | 11 |
| Noor Ahmad | Bowler | Batting: Right-hand Bat Bowling: Slow Left arm Orthodox | 15 |
| Nangyal Kharoti | Allrounder | Batting: Left-hand Bat Bowling: Slow Left arm Orthodox | 12 |
| Qais Ahmad | Bowler | Batting: Right-hand bat Bowling: Right arm Legbreak | 32 |
| Naveed Zadran | Bowler | Batting: Right-hand bat Bowling: Right arm Medium | 58 |
| Bilal Sami | Batter | Batting: Right-hand bat Bowling: Right arm Medium | 64 |
| Allah Ghazanfar | Bowler | Batting: Right-hand bat Bowling: Right-arm off-break | 4 |
| Abdul Malik | Batter | Batting: Right hand Bat Bowling: Right arm Offbreak | 20 |
| Afsar Zazai | Wicketkeeper Batter | Batting: Right hand Bat | 78 |
| Darwish Rasooli | Batter | Batting: Right-hand bat Bowling: Right-arm offbreak | 45 |
| Ismat Alam | Batting Allrounder | Batting: Right hand Bat Bowling: Right arm Fast medium | 58 |
| Sediqullah Atal | Batter | Batting: Left hand Bat | 63 |
| Shahidullah | Batting Allrounder | Batting: Left hand Bat Bowling: Slow Left arm Orthodox | 25 |
| Yamin Ahmadzai | Bowler | Batting: Right hand Bat Bowling: Right arm Medium fast | 99 |
| Zahir Khan | Bowler | Batting: Left hand Bat Bowling: Left arm Wrist spin | 34 |
| Zia-ur-Rehman | Bowling Allrounder | Batting: Right hand Bat Bowling: Slow Left arm Orthodox | 11 |
ABOUT THE AFGHANISTAN ODI SQUAD
Captain – Hashmatullah Shahidi
Vice Captain – Rahmat Shah
Head Coach – Jonathan Trott
Batting /Bowling Coach – Andrew Puttick, Hamid Hassan
Fielding/Assistant Coach – Shane McDermott, R. Sridhar
History and Key Events
Cricket in Afghanistan has a relatively short but impactful history, with significant development over the past two decades:
- Cricket was first recorded in Kabul in 1839, introduced by British troops.
- The game was “discovered” by Afghans in Pakistan in 1979 due to the Russian invasion.
- The Afghan Cricket Federation was formed by Afghan refugees in Pakistan in 1995.
- In 2000, refugees brought cricket home to Afghanistan, and it became the only sport allowed by the Taliban regime.
- Afghanistan gained affiliate membership of the ICC in 2001 and played in Pakistan’s domestic cricket, also joining the Asian Cricket Council in 2003.
- The Afghanistan Cricket Board (ACB) developed a Strategic Plan for 2011-2015, aiming to make cricket the country’s most popular sport, contributing to peace, health, unity, and development. This plan focused on increasing participation, building ACB capacity, developing domestic cricket, raising performance to elite levels, and growing finances.
- The ACB has prioritized using cricket as an educational tool for broader social development, including health campaigns, nation-building, human rights, ethnic unity, gender equity, peace-building, and the importance of education for all, especially for the 70% of the population under 25.
- The plan outlined strategies for player development, selection, and coaching, including establishing cricket academies and a connected player pathway from grassroots to national levels.
- The ACB also aimed to improve its ICC membership status and maintain/improve ODI/T20 status and rankings.
- Notable events include:
- 2004: U17s in ACC Under-17 Cup and National Team 6th in first ACC Trophy.
- 2010: Sharjah Stadium became a “temporary home ground.”
- 2011: Winners, ACC U-19 Elite in Thailand.
Achievements and Records
Afghanistan has made significant strides in international cricket, especially in recent years:
- In the 2023 ODI World Cup, they narrowly missed making the semi-finals, finishing sixth with the same points as Pakistan. During this tournament, they secured three consecutive victories, notably defeating Pakistan, Sri Lanka, and the Netherlands.
- A highlight was their victory over England in the 2023 ODI World Cup.
- They reached their first-ever semi-final appearance in the 2024 Men’s T20 World Cup.
- Since the 2023 World Cup, Afghanistan has won 8 out of 14 ODIs.
- They achieved a historic 2-1 series win against South Africa in Sharjah. They also beat Ireland, Bangladesh, and Zimbabwe in bilateral series during this period.
- Azmatullah Omarzai was recently named the ICC Men’s ODI Cricketer of the Year.
- Rashid Khan has taken 198 wickets in 111 ODIs and has led teams to titles, showcasing his invaluable leadership in high-pressure situations.
- Rahmanullah Gurbaz has scored eight centuries in 46 ODIs.
- Ibrahim Zadran has scored five centuries in 33 ODIs.
Famous Players
Several players have become synonymous with Afghanistan’s rise in cricket:
- Rashid Khan: Widely considered Afghanistan’s “biggest match-winner” due to his exceptional bowling and crucial contributions with the bat.
- Mohammad Nabi: The team’s “most experienced cricketer,” providing stability in the middle order and effective off-spin bowling.
- Rahmanullah Gurbaz: Known for his “explosive” and “dynamic” opening batting.
- Ibrahim Zadran: Recognized as Afghanistan’s “most consistent top-order batter.”
- Azmatullah Omarzai: Has emerged as a “game-changing all-rounder,” highlighted by his recent award as the ICC Men’s ODI Cricketer of the Year.
- Hashmatullah Shahidi: The captain, known for his “reliable” batting and leadership.
- Rahmat Shah: A “veteran” who brings experience and stability to the batting lineup.
FAQs
The Afghanistan ODI squad is viewed as a rapidly emerging and significant force in international cricket, demonstrating remarkable growth and challenging top teams globally. They are considered the “rising star of Asian cricket” and have been described as a dark horse for the Champions Trophy 2025.
Afghanistan is currently ranked eighth in the ICC ODI rankings.
The squad is noted for being well-balanced, featuring experienced batters, a reliable pace attack, and quality all-rounders. They possess strong spin-bowling options and an explosive batting lineup, which is particularly crucial for flat, high-scoring pitches.
Leadership
Hashmatullah Shahidi leads the Afghanistan ODI squad as captain.
Rahmat Shah serves as the Vice Captain for the Afghanistan ODI squad.
He is considered a veteran of Afghanistan’s batting lineup, providing experience and stability to the middle order. His ability to play long innings and counter spin is a vital asset.
Batting
Key batters include Ibrahim Zadran, Rahmanullah Gurbaz, Hashmatullah Shahidi, Rahmat Shah, Azmatullah Omarzai, Mohammad Nabi, and Gulbadin Naib.
Ibrahim Zadran is considered Afghanistan’s most consistent top-order batter.
Rahmanullah Gurbaz is known for his dynamic and fearless approach as an opener.
Azmatullah Omarzai has emerged as a game-changing all-rounder, contributing significantly with the bat.
Bowling
Rashid Khan is regarded as Afghanistan’s “biggest match-winner” and leads the team’s spin attack.
Fazalhaq Farooqi is the team’s most experienced pacer and will lead the pace attack.
Yes, AM Ghazanfar has been ruled out due to a back injury, Mujeeb Ur Rahman continues to miss ODI action due to injury, and Naveen-ul-Haq has retired from the ODI format.
Awards and Records
Azmatullah Omarzai was recently named the ICC Men’s ODI Cricketer of the Year.
Rashid Khan has taken 198 wickets in 111 ODIs.
Rahmanullah Gurbaz has scored eight centuries in 46 ODIs.