Afg name preliminary squad for T20I tri-series

The Afghanistan Cricket Board (ACB) on Monday, announced a 22-member preliminary squad for the upcoming T20I tri-series against Pakistan and the hosts United Arab Emirates (UAE) and the ACC Men's Asia Cup 2025.

According to the cricket board, the preliminary squad, led by star spinner Rashid Khan, will partake in a two-week training and preparation camp ahead of the upcoming T20I assignments.

The squad will be reduced to 15 players after the end of the two-week camp.

For the unversed, the T20I tri-series is set to take place from August 29 to September 7 at the Sharjah Cricket Stadium in the UAE.

Afghanistan will start their tri-series campaign against Pakistan in the curtain raiser on August 29.

This tri-series will serve as a crucial preparatory event for all three teams ahead of the ACC Men's T20 Asia Cup, which is also scheduled in the UAE from September 9 to 28.

The tournament will provide players with a valuable opportunity to adjust to local conditions before the continental showdown.

Originally, Pakistan was scheduled to host Afghanistan in a bilateral T20I series in August.

However, the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) proposed converting it into a tri-nation series, moving the fixtures to the UAE to better prepare teams for the Asia Cup.

Each team will face the others twice, ensuring that all sides play at least four matches before the top two teams advance to the final, scheduled for 7 September.

Afghanistan's Preliminary Squad for T20I tri-series and Asia Cup 2025: Rashid Khan (c), Rahmanullah Gurbaz, Sediqullah Atal, Wafiullah Tarakhil, Ibrahim Zadran, Darwish Rasooli, Mohammad Ishaq, Mohammad Nabi, Nangyal Kharoti, Sharafuddin Ashraf, Karim Janat, Azmatullah Omarzai, Gulbadin Naib, Mujeeb Zadran, AM Ghazanfar, Noor Ahmad Lakanwal, Fazalhaq Farooqi, Naveen-ul-Haq, Farid Malik, Saleem Safi, Abdullah Ahmadzai and Bashir Ahmad.