Afghanistan will lock horns with Sri Lanka on Friday, February 9, at the Pallekele International Cricket Stadium, in the first of three ODIs, just days after coming off a 10-wicket loss to their hosts in the one-off Test.

This is part of Afghanistan’s tour to Sri Lanka, which included the one-off Test earlier this week and a three-match T20I series that’s still to come.

Afghanistan’s star spinner Rashid Khan will not however take to the field as he is still recovering from back surgery. Qais Ahmad will fill in for him.

This will be the team’s first ODI series since the ICC World Cup 2023.

Sri Lanka meanwhile are coming off a 2-0 ODI series win over Zimbabwe in January.

For Afghanistan, reserve players in World Cup 2023, Gulbadin Naib and Fareed Ahmad, have made the squad for this series. Naveed Zadran, the pacer who did well in the Test against Sri Lanka, is also part of the squad as an uncapped player.

However, Najibullah Zadran is a notable absentee.

The two sides have played 12 times in ODIs, with Sri Lanka winning seven and Afghanistan four. One game ended without a result.

The last time the two sides locked horns in ODIs was in the ICC World Cup 2023, where Afghanistan beat Sri Lanka by seven wickets.

ODI schedule:

Match 1 – Friday February 9
Match 2 – Sunday February 11
Match 3 – Wednesday February 14

Ariana Television will broadcast the matches live from Friday. More details can be found on our social media platforms.

Squads:

Afghanistan
Hashmatullah Shahidi (capt), Rahmat Shah (vice-capt), Rahmanullah Gurbaz (wk), Ikram Alikhil (wk), Ibrahim Zadran, Riaz Hassan, Azmatullah Omarzai, Mohammad Nabi, Gulbadin Naib, Qais Ahmad, Noor Ahmad, Mujeeb Ur Rahman, Fazalhaq Farooqi, Naveed Zadran, Farid Ahmad

Reserves: Sharafuddin Ashraf, Shahidullah, Abdul Rahman, Bilal Sami

Sri Lanka
Kusal Mendis (c), Charith Asalanka, Avishka Fernando, Sadeera Samarawickrama, Sahan Arachchige, Chamika Karunaratne, Janith Liyanage, Maheesh Theekshana, Dilshan Madushanka, Dushmantha Chameera, Dunith Wellalage, Pramod Madushan, Akila Dananjaya, Wanindu Hasaranga