Rashid Khan returned to the Afghan test team for the first time in more than three years after the country’s cricket board announced an 18-member squad for the two-match test series against Zimbabwe.

Rashid Khan last appeared in the format back in March 2021 against the same opposition in Abu Dhabi. He has recovered from his back injury.

Left-arm top-order batter Sediqullah Atal, who has already got ODI and T20I caps to his name, has also been added to the test squad for the first time, ACB said in a statement.

Ismat Alam, a young medium-fast bowling all-rounder, has been recalled to the test squad for the first time after an impressive performance in the Ahmad Shah Abdali First Class Competitions, where he scored 723 runs and took 12 wickets. Similarly, slow left-arm spinner Zahir Shehzad has also been added to the team after putting in some impressive performances in the domestic FC competitions. Bashir Ahmad Afghan, a promising left-arm fast bowler, is the third player who has been recalled for the first time after picking up 30 wickets at an impressive average of 17.36.

The squad comprises a total of seven uncapped players, which also includes the likes of fast-bowling all-rounder Azmatullah Omarzai, left-arm fast-bowler Fareed Ahmad Malik, and top-order batter Riaz Hassan. They were recently part of the squad for the washed-out test match against New Zealand but are yet to make their Test debuts.

“Rashid Khan returns to the test squad, which is a promising sign for our red ball game going forward. The rest of the team underwent good preparations recently in Nangarhar province, which featured 19 players and all the support staff to work with the players and ensure full preparation for the series. We have thoroughly monitored the proceedings and have picked the squad which includes several new faces, including Ismat Alam, Bashir Ahmad, and Zahir Shehzad, who have performed well during the recent Ahmad Shah Abdali FC Tournament,” Ahmad Shah Sulimankhil, ACB’s interim chief selector, said.

Afghanistan Squad for the two-match test series against Zimbabwe:

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.

Reserve players: Nasir Jamal, Zia Ur Rahman Sharifi, and Ibrahim Abdulrahimzai

This will be Afghanistan’s 11th overall test match and third against Zimbabwe. Afghanistan has previously won three test matches each against Ireland (2019), Bangladesh (2019), and Zimbabwe (2021).

The first test is scheduled to begin on December 26 in Bulawayo.