Sport
Afghan cricket team arrives in Pakistan; Ghazanfar ruled out due to injury
The ICC meanwhile said on Wednesday that Afghanistan has confirmed its spinner swap for the event.
Afghanistan’s national cricket team arrived in Lahore, Pakistan, on Wednesday, ahead of the ICC Champions Trophy which gets underway next week.
Players and support staff touched down in the country on Wednesday morning. The team will enjoy a day of rest before starting their practise sessions on Thursday.
Their first match is scheduled for Friday, February 21 at the National Stadium Karachi.
The ICC Champions Trophy 2025 marks the tournament’s return after an eight-year hiatus and is set to kick off on Wednesday February 19.
As the host nation and defending champions, Pakistan will compete against seven of the world’s best teams to retain their title.
The eight teams are divided into two groups for the tournament’s opening stage. Each team will play three group-stage matches, with the top two from each group advancing to the semi-finals.
Group A features Bangladesh, India, Pakistan, and New Zealand, while Group B includes Afghanistan, England, Australia, and South Africa.
The tournament opener will see the home team, Pakistan, face New Zealand on February 19th in Karachi. However, India will play all their matches in Dubai, citing security concerns as the reason for not traveling to Pakistan.
Afghanistan squad
The ICC meanwhile said on Wednesday that Afghanistan has confirmed its spinner swap for the event.
Teenage spinner AM Ghazanfar has been ruled out of the tournament due to a back injury. Left-armer Nangyal Kharoti has been drafted into the squad as a replacement.
Ghazanfar’s absence is a blow to Afghanistan’s spin department as they are already missing experienced spinner Mujeeb Ur Rahman.
“Afghanistan’s young spin-bowling sensation, AM Ghazanfar, has been ruled out of the ICC Champions Trophy due to a fracture in the L4 vertebra,” the team confirmed in a statement.
Ghazanfar sustained the injury during Afghanistan’s recent tour to Zimbabwe and is expected to be sidelined for at least four months.
“Nangyal Kharoti, who was part of the reserves pool, has been promoted to the main squad for the Champions Trophy. Additionally, Mujeeb Ur Rahman continues to miss the ODI action, until he has fully recovered,” the statement read.
Afghanistan squad: Hashmatullah Shahidi (c), Ibrahim Zadran, Rahmanullah Gurbaz, Sediqullah Atal, Rahmat Shah, Ikram Alikhil, Gulbadin Naib, Azmatullah Omarzai, Mohammad Nabi, Rashid Khan, Nangyal Kharote, Noor Ahmad, Fazalhaq Farooqi, Farid Malik, Naveed Zadran. Reserves: Darwish Rasooli, Bilal Sami
Afghanistan’s Group Stage Fixtures:
- 21 February – Afghanistan vs South Africa, Karachi
- 26 February – Afghanistan vs England, Lahore
- 28 February – Afghanistan vs Australia, Lahore
Cricket fans meanwhile can stay tuned with Ariana Radio & Television Network (ATN) as all Champions Trophy matches will be broadcast live across the country.
A ski competition was held in Bamyan province with financial backing from Afghan Wireless Communication Company (AWCC), bringing together 230 athletes on the snowy slopes of Chapdara Shah Foladi.
The event was organized across three age groups and in three categories—amateur, professional, and local—featuring participants from Bamyan, Ghazni Province, and Maidan Wardak Province. Competitors welcomed the initiative and called for sustained support to further develop winter sports in Afghanistan.
Local officials said the competition aimed to nurture young talent and encourage greater engagement in sports.
Rajab Ali Fitrat, Deputy for Technical and Professional Affairs at Bamyan’s Department of Physical Education and Sports, expressed appreciation for AWCC and urged continued support for athletes across all disciplines, particularly skiing.
Organizers also underscored the importance of ongoing sponsorship, describing it as vital to the growth of sports in Bamyan. Shah Agha, one of the event organizers, called on AWCC to maintain its cooperation with local athletes, especially in skiing.
Athletes described the competition as a valuable opportunity to gain experience and showcase their skills.
Ali Askari, a participant, noted that he has been skiing for about eight years and highlighted the presence of competitors from multiple provinces.
In the results, Sayed Rohullah claimed first place in the professional category, followed by Ali Agha and Sayed Hadi. In the amateur division, Asif, Shir Hussain, and Noor Agha secured the top three spots. In the local (wooden ski) category, Hassan Ali took first place, while Shamsullah and Mohammad finished second and third.
With its snow-covered mountains, Bamyan is widely regarded as one of Afghanistan’s premier destinations for winter sports and has previously hosted both national and international ski competitions.
The Balkh Mountaineering Federation announced that 13 members of the Alborz Central team, led by Reza Rezaei, the federation’s Technical and Professional Deputy, with coordination from the Olympic and Physical Education Directorate and the provincial Mountaineering Federation, successfully climbed Mount Alborz during their first training program.
The purpose of this spring training and ascent was to strengthen the mountaineers both physically and mentally, as well as to promote the culture of mountaineering in Balkh.
The Afghanistan national football team lost 2–1 to Myanmar in the Asian Cup qualifiers in Yangon on Thursday afternoon.
The only goal for Afghanistan was scored by Omid Popalzay.
Afghanistan’s national team is scheduled to play its final match of the competition on March 31 against Syria in Saudi Arabia.
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