The Afghanistan Cricket Board (ACB) on September 20 announced squads for the white-ball series against Bangladesh, scheduled to start on October 2 in UAE. After the group stage exit from the T20 Asia Cup 2025, the Afghan selectors have made three major changes. Left-arm pacer Fazalhaq Farooqi, all-rounders Gulbadin Naib and Karim Janat did not get a place in the squads.
Farooqi has been replaced by tall left-arm pacer, Bashir Ahmad. He is set to make his debut for Afghanistan. Represented Afghanistan at Under-19 level, he has played five List A and 14 T20s. He has 12 T20 wickets at an average of 38.16 and conceded runs at an economy rate of 9.06 runs per over.
Another uncapped player in the list is 18-year-old top-order batter Wafiullah Tarakhil. Afghanistan have struggled in the batting department and they are looking to fine-tune with months to go into T20 World Cup 2026. Tarakhil has played 33 T20s and scored 794 runs at an average of 28.35 and strike rate of 145.95. He has five T20 centuries to his name. In the Shpageeza Cricket League, he was third-highest run-scorer.
The third change is pacer Abdollah Ahmadzai. He was among the reserves for Asia Cup alongside Tarakhil. Ahmadzai made his T20I debut against UAE in the tri-series. He bowled three overs, conceded 31 runs and claimed the wicket of UAE captain Muhammad Waseem.
Allah Ghazanfar and Rahmat Shah have been dropped to reserves in T20Is. They will continue to be part of the ODI side.
"After a long six-month break from international cricket following the ICC Champions Trophy, we are now entering a packed season with many T20I games scheduled," ACB CEO Naseeb Khan said in a statement. "This provides the team with an incredible opportunity to prepare for the ICC Men's T20 World Cup next year.
"The performances in the Asia Cup 2025 were not as expected, but ups and downs are part of the game. As always, we remain hopeful that AfghanAtalan will bounce back strongly and make our nation proud in the upcoming events."
All three T20Is will be played at Sharjah Cricket Stadium. The ODI series will be played at Sheikh Zayed Stadium, Abu Dhabi from October 8 to 14.
Afghanistan T20I squad
Rashid Khan (capt), Ibrahim Zadran (vice-capt), Rahmanullah Gurbaz (wk), Mohamamad Ishaq (wk), Sediqullah Atal, Wafiullah Tarakhil, Darwish Rasooli, Azmatullah Omarzai, Mohammad Nabi, Sharafuddin Ashraf, Noor Ahmad, Mujeeb Ur Rahman, Bashir Ahmad, Fareed Ahmad Malik, Abdullah Ahmadzai.
Reserves: AM Ghazanfar and Rahmat Shah.
Afghanistan ODI squad
Hashmatullah Shahidi (capt), Rahmat Shah (vice-capt), Rahmanullah Gurbaz (wk), Ikram Alikhil (wk), Ibrahim Zadran, Sediqullah Atal, Darwish Rasooli, Azmatullah Omarzai, Mohammad Nabi, Rashid Khan, Nangeyalia Kharote, AM Ghazanfar, Abdullah Ahmadzai, Bashir Ahmad, Mohammad Saleem Safi.
Reserves: Bilal Sami and Faridoon Dawoodzai.