Afghanistan tour of Sri Lanka 2023: When Afghanistan visits Sri Lanka for a three-match ODI series against the island nation next month, its preparations for the ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup this year will pick up steam.
Veteran left-armer Hashmatullah Shahidi will once again lead Afghanistan during the tour, with the selectors on Monday announcing a strong squad of 15 players and four reserves for the three-match series starting June 2 in Hambantota.
Young all-rounder Abdul Rahman has returned on the back of some strong performances in Afghanistan’s domestic one-day cup competition, while Shaheedullah Kamal, Yamin Ahmadzai, Zia ur Rehman Akbar and Gulbadin Naib have been placed in reserve.
Afghanistan Qualification:
Afghanistan have already qualified for this year’s World Cup by virtue of finishing seventh in the recently concluded ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup Super League and will be confident of a strong show against Sri Lanka and in the 50-over fixture scheduled at the end of the year .
Hashmatullah’s team currently has three bowlers ranked in the top 10 of the MRF Tires ODI bowlers rankings, Rashid Khan (6th), Mujeeb Ur Rehman (8th) and Mohammad Nabi (10th) along with rising pacer Fazalhaq Farooqui and young spinner Has an impressive attack with. Noor Ahmed.
Mirwais Ashraf: The chairman of the Afghanistan Cricket Board, Mirwais Ashraf, is confident in his team’s preparation for the World Cup this year and anticipates a great showing during the team’s visit of Sri Lanka.
"It's good to have a couple of young faces for the series; the build-up for the ICC Cricket World Cup has already begun, and we are looking for every possible opportunity to build a good combination of the team and prepare them well for the event,".
Afghanistan tour of Sri Lanka 2023 Squad:
Afghanistan Squad: Hashmatullah Shahidi (c), Rahmat Shah (vc), Rahmanullah Gurbaz (wk), Ibrahim Zadran, Riaz Hassan, Najibullah Zadran, Mohammad Nabi, Ikram Alikhail (wk), Azmatullah Omarzai, Rashid Khan, Mujib ur Rahman, Noor Ahmad, Abdul Rahman, Fazal Haq Farooqi, Farid Ahmad Malik.
reserved Player: Gulbadin Naib, Shahidullah Kamal, Yamin Ahmadzai, Zia ur Rahman Akbar
Afghanistan tour of Sri Lanka 2023 Schedule:
| DAYS | Date | Team | Venue | Tournament |
| DAY-1 ODI | 2 June 2023 | Afghanistan vs Sri Lanka | Mahinda Rajapaksa International Cricket Stadium, Hambantota | ODI Series: Afghanistan tour of Sri Lanka |
| DAY-2 ODI | 4 June 2023 | Afghanistan vs Sri Lanka | Mahinda Rajapaksa International Cricket Stadium, Hambantota | ODI Series: Afghanistan tour of Sri Lanka |
| DAY-3 ODI | 7 June 2023 | Afghanistan vs Sri Lanka | Mahinda Rajapaksa International Cricket Stadium, Hambantota | ODI Series: Afghanistan tour of Sri Lanka |
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