Star Afghanistan allrounder Rashid Khan is in all probability set to miss the Boxing Day Test against Zimbabwe. He is opting out of the game – which would be the opening Test at Bulawato – due to personal reasons. But yes, Rashid is likely to join the team for the second and final Test. A report suggests that the 26-year-old is scheduled to attend a charity event, and as a result, will not be available for the first game. It will certainly be a big setback for the Afghanistan side as Rashid is a key player. 

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RASHID’S RECENT TIMELINE

Rashid’s presence in recent times has been sporadic. He has not played a Test match since March 2021, and had been absent from Afghanistan’s recent Test series due to injury and rest. Following that, the Afghanistan icon’s back injury led to a break from red-ball cricket as advised by his physicians, causing him to miss the national team’s red ball outings. Rashid then missed Afghanistan’s next Test assignments against Bangladesh , Sri Lanka and Ireland due to a combination of rest and injury.

Left-arm spinner Zahir Shehzad and left-arm fast-bowler Bashir Ahmad Afghan have also been added to the team after putting in some impressive performances in the domestic first-class games. The Afghanistan Test squad comprises seven uncapped players, which also includes Azmatullah Omarzai, Fareed Ahmad Malik, and Riaz Hassan.

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Nasir Jamal, Zia Ur Rahman Sharifi, and Ibrahim Abdulrahimzai are the three players who are part of the reserve players pool for the series. Afghanistan has previously won three Test matches, including one against Zimbabwe in 2021.

Afghanistan squad

Hashmatullah Shahidi (C), Rahmat Shah (VC), Ikram Alikhail (WK), Afsar Zazai (WK), Riaz Hassan, Sediqullah Atal, Abdul Malik, Baheer Shah Mahboob, Ismat Alam, Azmatullah Omarzai, Zahir Khan, Zia Ur Rehman Akbar, Zahir Shehzad, Rashid Khan, Yamin Ahmadzai, Bashir Ahmad Afghan, Naveed Zadran, and Fareed Ahmad Malik.