Sport
Farooqi, Naveen back in Afghanistan squad; Mujeeb omitted for series against UAE
Fast bowlers Naveen-ul-Haq and Fazalhaq Farooqi are in the squad for the three-match T20I series against UAE, but spinner Mujeeb Ur Rahman has been left out.
This comes after the trio had been sanctioned by the Afghanistan Cricket Board (ACB) earlier this week after they expressed a desire to be left out of the central contracts list for 2024.
The ACB had said then that the players were being pulled up for “prioritising their personal interests over playing for Afghanistan”, with the fallout including no no-objection certificates (NOCs) being issued to the trio to play in overseas T20 leagues for the next two years, and a revoking of any NOCs they currently possess.
The ACB also said it “would assess and determine the involvement of these players in [international] events as necessary”.
Now, the board said, Farooqi and Naveen had “approached the ACB and demonstrated a strong desire to represent their country again”.
In a statement announcing the squad, the ACB said it “acknowledged and praised their eagerness to collaborate closely with the [board]”, but the investigation into the matter that the board had ordered would go ahead.
“The ACB directed the relevant committee assigned to the matter to conduct a comprehensive investigation and urged them to communicate their findings and proposed solutions to the board after thoroughly assessing the players’ requests,” the statement said.
Meanwhile, T20I captain Rashid Khan, who had recently undergone back surgery, will miss out on the UAE series. Ibrahim Zadran is standing in for him. However, Rashid travelled with the squad as a reserve.
Mujeeb on the other hand is currently with Melbourne Renegades at the Big Bash League (BBL) in Australia. He helped them to their first win of the season on Friday, the same day as the first Afghanistan vs UAE T20I match in Sharjah.
ESPNcricinfo reports that Renegades said after the ACB sanctions that Mujeeb would remain at the BBL for the rest of the season. “The Melbourne Renegades are aware of the matter between Mujeeb Ur Rahman and the Afghanistan Cricket Board,” the Renegades statement had said.
“The club has received no communication that Mujeeb’s availability for the BBL could change from original plans. Mujeeb remains available for the Melbourne Renegades… Mujeeb is a world-class player and a popular member of the squad, and the club will continue to support him for the rest of the BBL season,” the statement read.
Mujeeb, regular on the T20 circuit, was recently picked up by Kolkata Knight Riders at the IPL auction for USD 241,000. Naveen is with Lucknow Super Giants in the IPL, and Farooqi, retained by Sunrisers Hyderabad, recently featured in the Abu Dhabi T10 competition. All three players also featured for Afghanistan at the 2023 World Cup.
Afghanistan’s squad for T20Is vs UAE:
Ibrahim Zadran (capt), Rahmanullah Gurbaz (wk), Mohammad Ishaq (wk), Hazratullah Zazai, Sediqullah Atal, Rahmat Shah, Darwish Rasooli, Najibullah Zadran, Mohammad Nabi, Karim Janat, Azmaullah Omarzai, Sharafuddin Ashraf, Fazalhaq Farooqi, Fareed Ahmad, Naveen Ul Haq, Noor Ahmad, Mohammad Saleem and Qais Ahmad
Reserves: Rashid Khan, Ijaz Ahmad Ahmadzai, Ikram Alikhil and Gulbadin Naib
Sport
Afghanistan, Uzbekistan set for friendly cricket clash in Khost
The match will be played during a cricket league, and is part of the Cricket Development Support Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) signed between the ACB and the Cricket Federation of Uzbekistan in December last year.
The Afghanistan Cricket Board (ACB) has announced that it will host Uzbekistan’s national cricket team for a one-off T20 international on July 10 at the Rahmat Wali Masroori Cricket Ground in Khost province.
According to the ACB, the match will be played during a cricket league, and is part of the Cricket Development Support Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) signed between the ACB and the Cricket Federation of Uzbekistan in December last year.
The friendly match is scheduled to begin at 9:00 AM, with an Afghan XI taking on the visiting Uzbek side. The game will be broadcast live across Afghanistan and internationally through various linear and digital platforms.
Quoted by the ACB, Chief Executive Officer Naseeb Khan said the board remains committed to supporting emerging cricket nations such as Uzbekistan and is ready to extend similar assistance to other countries seeking to develop the sport.
He noted that the ACB has already organized capacity-building programs and training workshops for members of the Cricket Federation of Uzbekistan, while several Uzbek fast bowlers also participated in the ACB’s specialized Fast Bowling Camp last year.
Khan added that Uzbekistan has consistently maintained a friendly policy toward Afghanistan and that the two countries have strengthened cooperation in healthcare, politics, and trade in recent years. He said closer collaboration in cricket development would further deepen relations between the two neighboring nations.
Sport
Serbian Dejan Dedovic appointed head coach of Afghanistan national futsal team
Dedovic will lead Afghanistan’s preparations for upcoming regional and international competitions, overseeing the team’s technical development and training programs.
The Afghanistan Football Federation (AFF) has appointed Serbian coach Dejan Dedovic as the new head coach of the national futsal team on a two-year contract.
The agreement was signed during a ceremony attended by AFF officials, futsal committee members, technical staff, and sports journalists.
Dedovic will lead Afghanistan’s preparations for upcoming regional and international competitions, overseeing the team’s technical development and training programs.
The federation also announced several additions to the national team’s coaching staff. Iran’s Javad Asghari Moqaddam has been appointed technical director, while Morteza Mansour Samaei will serve as goalkeeping coach. Spain’s Uriel Masana has joined as assistant coach, Iran’s Sadeq Amani as fitness coach, and Brazil’s Joao Lira as team analyst.
In addition, the AFF renewed the contract of Mohammad Nasir Sedaqat as manager of the national futsal team.
The federation said it expects the newly assembled coaching staff to contribute to the continued development of Afghan futsal and strengthen the team’s competitiveness at the regional and international levels.
Sport
India clinch ODI series against Afghanistan
The India national cricket team defeated Afghanistan in the third and final One Day International (ODI), sealing the series with a 9-wicket victory and lifting the series trophy.
Afghanistan won the toss in the final match and opted to bat first.
Batting first, Afghanistan were bowled out for 218 in 44.2 overs, setting India a target of 219 runs.
Hashmatullah Shahidi played a superb innings, scoring 102 runs off 131 deliveries, anchoring the Afghan batting effort.
In reply, India made light work of the chase, reaching 219 for the loss of just one wicket in 28.4 overs, completing a dominant run chase.
India had already taken an unassailable lead in the series by winning the first ODI by 7 wickets and the second by 170 runs, before sealing a comprehensive 3–0 series sweep in the final match.
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