The Afghanistan national team has named their ODI and T20I squads for the white-ball tour against Bangladesh in the UAE, and a few players that have been included are new faces and there have been players that were omitted from the squad.

Among the players unreleased from the squad are left-arm seamer Fazalhaq Farooqi, and the allrounders Gulbadin Naib and Karim Janat. Farooqi has been replaced by Fyaz Ahmad, a tall left-arm seamer at 20 years of age and yet to play at the international level, regardless of having played 14 T20 matches with 12 wickets at a respectable economy rate of 9.06.

Another name added to the squad is the young top-order batter, nephew to the Afghanistan captain, Wafiullah Tarakhil, only available for the T20I squad. He had a strong run in the recent Shpageeza Cricket League, ending as the third highest run-scorer with 298 runs at an average of 37.25 and a strike rate of 155.20 over the course of nine innings.

Abdullah Ahmadzai has been added back into the T20I squad after being included as just a reserve in the Asia Cup and mystery spinner, AM Ghazanfar has been included in the ODI squad, with Rahmat Shah also among those listed as reserves for the T20I series, rather than the ODI series.

Rashid Khan's team relies on its spin depth and new players ahead of the Bangladesh white-ball series in Sharjah and Abu Dhabi 

In regard to the squad refresh, ACB CEO Naseeb Khan said "this refresh is part of Afghanistan preparations towards the 2026 ICC Men’s T20 World Cup," and that the team has "a busy season ahead with many T20Is planned." He acknowledged the disappointment of being ousted from the Asia Cup, but is optimistic that AfghanAtalan will "bounce back strong." 

Afghanistan's spin depth is a big asset. Even without Ghazanfar in the main T20I group, they have Rashid Khan, Noor Ahmad, Mujeeb Ur Rahman and Mohammad Nabi available. They will have captain Hashmatullah Shahidi back to join Rashid, Nabi, Ghazanfar and Nangeyalia Kharote for the ODIs and in the conditions of Abu Dhabi, it could be effective to have Ghazanfar and Kharote available. 

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The tour begins with three T20Is in Sharjah on October 2, 3 and 5, then will follow with three ODIs in Abu Dhabi from October 8 to 14. This will complete the second part of a rescheduled all-format engagement between these two teams having Afghanistan won the ODI leg of the engagement in November 2024 by a score of 2-1.

Afghanistan suffered a narrow defeat against Bangladesh by eight runs in their last T20 International during the Asia Cup held in Abu Dhabi, and they will be keen to reverse that outcome this time.

Afghanistan T20I squad: Rashid Khan (capt), Ibrahim Zadran (vice-capt), Rahmanullah Gurbaz (wk), Mohamamad Ishaq (wk), Sediqullah Atal, Wafiullah Tarakhil, Darwish Rasooli, Azmatullah Omarzai, Mohammad Nabi, Sharafuddin Ashraf, Noor Ahmad, Mujeeb Ur Rahman, Bashir Ahmad, Fareed Ahmad Malik, Abdullah Ahmadzai.

Reserves: AM Ghazanfar, Rahmat Shah.

Afghanistan ODI squad: Hashmatullah Shahidi (capt), Rahmat Shah (vice-capt), Rahmanullah Gurbaz (wk), Ikram Alikhil (wk), Ibrahim Zadran, Sediqullah Atal, Darwish Rasooli, Azmatullah Omarzai, Mohammad Nabi, Rashid Khan, Nangeyalia Kharote, AM Ghazanfar, Abdullah Ahmadzai, Bashir Ahmad, Mohammad Saleem Safi.

Reserves: Bilal Sami, Faridoon Dawoodzai.

The Afghanistan Cricket Board (ACB) has announced its squads for the upcoming white-ball series against Bangladesh, set to take place in the United Arab Emirates from October 2 to 14. The squad selections contain some meaningful inclusions and omissions as the Afghanistan team heads into preparations for the ICC Men's T20 World Cup next year.

Senior players Fazalhaq Farooqi, Gulbadin Naib, and Karim Janat were omitted from both squads, which the selectors responded to by adding new players to strengthen the team moving forward. Bashir Ahmad, a tall left-arm pacer who has yet to make his international debut, was added to both squads as a like-for-like replacement for Farooqi. Bashir has played 14 T20 matches, taking 12 wickets at an economy of 9.06. Wafiullah Tarakhil earns a T20I call-up following a strong Shpageeza Cricket League season, scoring 298 runs in nine innings at an average of 37.25 and a strike rate of 155.20.

Pacer Abdullah Ahmadzai returns to the T20I squad after being in the reserves for the Asia Cup. Fast bowler Mohammad Saleem Safi has been selected for the ODI squad, with Bilal Sami and Faridoon Dawoodzai as reserve pace options. Spinner AM Ghazanfar has been included in the ODI side but is a reserve for the T20Is, while the addition of Nangeyalia Kharote alongside Rashid Khan, Mohammad Nabi, and Ghazanfar further strengthens Afghanistan’s spin-heavy ODI lineup.

Leadership and CEO Statement

Hashmatullah Shahidi will continue as captain of the ODI team, with Rahmat Shah as his deputy. In the T20I squad, Rashid Khan retains the captaincy, with Ibrahim Zadran as vice-captain. ACB CEO Naseeb Khan emphasized the importance of the upcoming series following a long gap in international cricket for Afghanistan:

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"After a long six-month break from international cricket following the ICC Champions Trophy, we are now entering a packed season with many T20I games scheduled. This provides the team with an incredible opportunity to prepare for the ICC Men's T20 World Cup next year. The performances in the Asia Cup 2025 were not as expected, but ups and downs are part of the game. As always, we remain hopeful that AfghanAtalan will bounce back strongly and make our nation proud in the upcoming events," Khan said.

Afghanistan squads for upcoming white-ball series

T20I Squad: Rashid Khan (capt), Ibrahim Zadran (vice-capt), Rahmanullah Gurbaz (wk), Mohammad Ishaq (wk), Sediqullah Atal, Wafiullah Tarakhil, Darwish Rasooli, Azmatullah Omarzai, Mohammad Nabi, Sharafuddin Ashraf, Noor Ahmad, Mujeeb Ur Rahman, Bashir Ahmad, Fareed Ahmad Malik, Abdullah Ahmadzai. Reserves: AM Ghazanfar, Rahmat Shah.

ODI Squad: Hashmatullah Shahidi (capt), Rahmat Shah (vice-capt), Rahmanullah Gurbaz (wk), Ikram Alikhil (wk), Ibrahim Zadran, Sediqullah Atal, Darwish Rasooli, Azmatullah Omarzai, Mohammad Nabi, Rashid Khan, Nangeyalia Kharote, AM Ghazanfar, Abdullah Ahmadzai, Bashir Ahmad, Mohammad Saleem Safi. Reserves: Bilal Sami, Faridoon Dawoodzai.

New Zealand Cricket (NZC) has announced the 15-member complete White Ferns squad for the ICC Women's Cricket World Cup 2025. Sophie Devine is ready to lead the team, where four players will experience their first ODI World Cup. 

The ICC Women's World Cup 2000 champions New Zealand are now officially ready for the upcoming ICC Women's Cricket World Cup 2025, which India and Sri Lanka will jointly host from September 30 to November 2, 2025. The four-time finalists finished in sixth position in the last edition, which was their worst performance in this tournament's history. 

See Also: Sri Lanka announce 15-member squad for Women's ODI World Cup 2025

New Zealand Women have strong balance

Captain Sophie Devine will lead New Zealand Women in the ICC Women's Cricket World Cup 2025, who will experience her fifth ODI World Cup tournament, just like her teammate Suzie Bates. Lea Tahuhu is ready to play her fourth ODI World Cup, while Maddy Green and Melie Kerr have already experienced two ODI World Cups. 

Apart from strong experiences, the White Ferns also have four players who will experience the ODI World Cup for the first time. These players are Flora Devonshire, Polly Inglis, Bella James, and Bree Illing.

New Zealand Women will start the tournament during the second game of the tournament, where they will face Australia on October 1 at Indore. Then they will play against South Africa (October 6 at Indore), Bangladesh (October 10 at Guwahati), Sri Lanka (October 14 at Colombo), Pakistan (October 18 at Colombo), India (October 23 at Navi Mumbai), and England (October 26 at Visakhapatnam). Before the tournament journey, they will face India A and India in the warm-up games both at Bengaluru on September 25 and 27, respectively.

New Zealand complete squad for the ICC Women's Cricket World Cup 2025

Sophie Devine (Captain), Suzie Bates, Eden Carson, Flora Devonshire, Izzy Gaze, Maddy Green, Brooke Halliday, Bree Illing, Polly Inglis, Bella James, Jess Kerr, Melie Kerr, Rosemary Mair, Georgia Plimmer, Lea Tahuhu.

Shreyas Iyer has been handed the captaincy of the India A squad for the upcoming two-match unofficial multi-day series against Australia A, beginning in mid-September. The Senior Men’s Selection Committee confirmed the squad on Saturday, September 6, with an aim to provide promising talents exposure ahead of the senior team’s busy international calendar.

Dhruv Jurel, the wicketkeeper-batter who has been in fine form recently, has been named vice-captain of the side. Alongside him, the selectors have opted for N Jagadeesan as a second wicket-keeping option for the batting order, thus providing more depth in both batting and keeping. Ayush Badoni's neatness in the middle order has added to India A's batting core.

The bowlers are selected with variety in mind. All the pace options will be Prasidh Krishna, Khaleel Ahmed, Gurnoor Brar, and Yash Thakur, as well as having a nice balance with all-rounder Nitish Kumar Reddy. In the spin department, Mumbai’s Tanush Kotian will be supported by left-arm spinners Harsh Dubey and Manav Suthar. Importantly, KL Rahul and Mohammed Siraj are scheduled to join the squad for the second game, replacing two players after the first match. Both were rested following India’s high-intensity series against England.

Fixtures and Series Details

The first multi-day match will be staged at the Ekana International Cricket Stadium in Lucknow from September 16 to 19, followed by the second game at the same venue from September 23 to 26. After the red-ball leg, the focus will shift to white-ball cricket, with three unofficial ODIs scheduled in Kanpur’s Green Park. Later, the senior India team will head to Australia for three ODIs and five T20Is in October-November.

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This series is seen as a crucial platform for fringe players to showcase their skills against a strong Australian second-string side. With senior stars Rahul and Siraj also featuring in the latter part, the contests promise to be competitive while providing selectors with valuable insights ahead of the international season.

India A Squad for Multi-Day Series vs Australia A
Shreyas Iyer (C), Abhimanyu Easwaran, N Jagadeesan (WK), Sai Sudharsan, Dhruv Jurel (VC & WK), Devdutt Padikkal, Harsh Dubey, Ayush Badoni, Nitish Kumar Reddy, Tanush Kotian, Prasidh Krishna, Gurnoor Brar, Khaleel Ahmed, Manav Suthar, Yash Thakur

The Asia Cup debutants, Oman, have selected a 17-member squad for the upcoming Asia Cup 2025, which includes four uncapped players. While they have already experienced three T20 World Cups, they are to experience the challenging Asia Cup. 

Oman's second-most experienced international cricketer, Punjab's Ludhiana-born Jatinder Singh, will continue to lead the team in the upcoming Asia Cup 2025. For the upcoming T20 tournament, they have named four uncapped players, who are Sufyan Yousuf, Zikria Islam, Faisal Shah, and Nadeem Khan.

Oman are in Group A in Asia Cup 2025

The United Arab Emirates (UAE) is ready to host the Asia Cup 2025 in T20 format, which will be played between September 9 and 28. While it will be the first time that eight teams are participating in an Asia Cup tournament, Oman have qualified for the tournament after finishing as the runners-up in the ACC Premier Cup 2024. After reaching the Final by beating Hong Kong by five wickets, Oman lost against the UAE in the Final by 55 runs.

In the Asia Cup 2025, Oman are in Group A along with India, Pakistan, and the UAE. They will start their tournament journey with the match against Pakistan on September 12. Later, they will face the UAE and India on September 15 and 19, respectively. 

Oman head coach Duleep Mendis is excited about the Asia Cup opportunity. On their team selection, Mendis said, "It is real that we are participating in the Asia Cup - a major tournament and a fantastic opportunity for our players to showcase their skills on a global stage."

Previously, Oman made their ICC Men's T20 World Cup debut in the 2016 edition, and also participated in the 2020 and 2024 editions. Although they never moved up from the first round in every T20 WC tournament, they won one game each in the 2016 and 2020 editions against Ireland and Papua New Guinea, respectively. 

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Bangladesh are ready for their second ICC Women's Cricket World Cup, as they have announced their 15-member squad for the upcoming ICC Women's Cricket World Cup 2025, which India and Sri Lanka (only Pakistan Women related matches) will host between September 30 and November 2, 2025.

Bangladesh Women qualified for the ICC Women's Cricket World Cup 2025 after finishing as the runners-up in the Qualifiers, where the hosts Pakistan Women won the title, and West Indies Women finished in the third position with the same points but a lesser net run rate than the Tigresses. As only the top two teams could qualify for the upcoming Women's World Cup, the 2013 runners-up West Indies will miss the tournament. 

Bangladesh Women will start their journey in the upcoming CWC with the match against Pakistan Women at Colombo in Sri Lanka. Then the Tigresses will face England, New Zealand, South Africa, Australia, Sri Lanka, and the hosts India, respectively.

See Also: Revised fixtures announced for ICC Women’s Cricket World Cup 2025

Nigar Sultana will continue her captaincy role for Bangladesh Women

Nigar Sultana will lead the Bangladesh Women cricket team in the upcoming ICC Women's Cricket World Cup 2025. Nishita Akter Nishi and Sumaiya Akter, who played the ICC U19 Women's T20 World Cup 2025, have also been named in the World Cup squad, along with Rubya Haider, who is yet to make her Women's ODI debut.

Bangladesh Women participated in the ICC Women's Cricket World Cup 2022, where they finished in seventh position by recording two points with one win against Pakistan Women (by nine runs) and six other losses. Since that tournament, the Tigresses have drawn a home bilateral ODI series against India Women, and won two home bilateral ODI series against Pakistan Women and Ireland Women. 

Bangladesh Women's complete squad for ICC Women's Cricket World Cup 2025 

Nigar Sultana Joty (Captain), Nahida Akter, Farzana Haque, Rubya Haider Jhelik, Sharmin Akter Supta, Sobhana Mostary, Ritu Moni, Shorna Akter, Fahima Khatun, Rabeya Khan, Marufa Akter, Fariha Islam Trisna, Shanjida Akther Maghla, Nishita Akter Nishi, Sumaiya Akter

ICC Women's Cricket World Cup 2025: Bangladesh Women's league stage schedule

October 2: Bangladesh vs Pakistan at Colombo

October 7: Bangladesh vs England at Guwahati

October 10: Bangladesh vs New Zealand at Guwahati

October 13: Bangladesh vs South Africa at Visakhapatnam

October 16: Australia vs Bangladesh at Visakhapatnam

October 20: Bangladesh vs Sri Lanka at Navi Mumbai

October 26: India vs Bangladesh at Navi Mumbai

Hong Kong, who will experience their fifth Asia Cup tournament and second T20 Asia Cup competition, have announced the 20-member squad for the forthcoming Asia Cup 2025.

The United Arab Emirates (UAE) is ready to host the eight-team Asia Cup 2025 between September 9 and 28, as it will be a T20I tournament. It will be the first time that more than six teams are participating in an Asia Cup tournament. 

Asia Cup 2025: How did Hong Kong qualify?

While all five ICC full members from Asia have directly qualified for the Asia Cup 2025, UAE, Oman, and Hong Kong have qualified for the tournament through the qualifiers. In the ACC Men's Premier Cup 2024, Hong Kong finished the second position in Group A to advance to the Semi-final, where they lost against Oman by five wickets. However, in the third-place playoff battle, which was the last chance to qualify for the Asia Cup 2025, Hong Kong beat Nepal by four wickets to secure their Asia Cup spot. 

Hong Kong previously participated in the Asia Cup in the 2022 edition, which was in T20I format. After playing eight games in the Asia Cup, they have yet to experience their first win in the competition.  

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Asia Kong: Hong Kong in Group B

In the Asia Cup 2025, Hong Kong will begin from Group B, where they will face Afghanistan (September 9), Bangladesh (September 11), and Sri Lanka (September 15). After playing their first two group stage matches at Sheikh Zayed Cricket Stadium in Abu Dhabi, Hong Kong will play their last game of the group at Dubai International Cricket Stadium in Dubai. At the end of the group stage, the top two teams in the final points table will advance to the Super Four stage. 

Recently, former Sri Lankan cricketer Kaushal Silva became the head coach of the Hong Kong men's cricket team. In the upcoming Asia Cup, Yasim Murtaza will lead the team, while Babar Hayat will play the deputy role. The team has a nice mixture of experience and youth talents. 

Hong Kong complete squad for Asia Cup 2025

Yasim Murtuza (Captain), Zeeshan Ali, Shahid Wasif, Nizakat Khan, Nasrulla Rana, Martin Coetzee, Anshuman Rath, Babar Hayat, Ehsan Khan, Kalhan Challu, Ayush Shukla, Aizaz Khan, Ateeq Iqbal, Kinchit Shah, Adil Mehmood, Anas Khan, Harood Arshad, Ali Hassan, Md Ghazanfar, Md. Waheed

Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) has announced the 16-member complete squad for the upcoming Asia Cup 2025, where a star all-rounder will miss the tournament. 

The United Arab Emirates (UAE) will host the Asia Cup 2025, the 17th Asia Cup, and the third T20 edition of the tournament. Three-time Asia Cup runners-up, who were also the runners-up in the inaugural Asia Cup T20 in 2016, are in Group B in the 2025 edition along with Sri Lanka, Afghanistan, and Hong Kong. After playing their tournament opener on September 11 against Hong Kong, they will face Sri Lanka and Afghanistan on September 13 and 16, respectively. The top two teams of the group will advance to the Super 4 of the tournament. 

ODI captain Mehidy Hasan Miraz will miss Asia Cup 2025

Litton Das will continue to lead the Bangladesh T20I team in the upcoming Asia Cup 2025. However, their new regular ODI captain, Mehidy Hasan Miraz, will miss the upcoming tournament. The all-rounder will also miss the upcoming home T20I series against the Netherlands, as he is supporting his wife, who is not keeping well. 

Mohammad Naim has also been dropped from the T20I squad, while Saif Hasan and Nurul Hasan have returned to the Bangladesh T20I squad for the upcoming Asia Cup.

See Also: "We will go to become champions" - Bangladesh cricketer Jaker Ali makes bold claim for Asia Cup 2025

Bangladesh eyeing first Asia Cup trophy

Bangladesh have a high hope for the upcoming Asia Cup 2025. Recently, they won the away T20I series against the hosts Sri Lanka and the home T20I series against Pakistan. The Asia Cup 2025 will play a strong preparation role for them for the ICC Men's T20 World Cup 2026. India and Sri Lanka will host the upcoming Men's T20 World Cup in February and March 2026.

Bangladesh complete squad for Asia Cup 2025: Litton Das (captain and wk), Tanzid Hasan, Parvez Hossain Emon, Saif Hassan, Towhid Hridoy, Jaker Ali, Shamim Hossain, Nurul Hasan, Mahedi Hasan, Rishad Hossain, Nasum Ahmed, Mustafizur Rahman, Tanzim Hasan, Taskin Ahmed, Shoriful Islam, Mohammad Saifuddin

The Afghanistan Cricket Board (ACB) has officially announced the teams for the 10th edition of the Shpageeza Cricket League (SCL), which will take place from July 19 to August 1, 2025, at Kabul Cricket Stadium. Leading the Speenghar Tigers this season is Afghan T20 superstar and spin wizard Rashid Khan, who brings not just skill but vital leadership experience to the side.

The Tigers come into SCL 10 with a balanced side having explosive hitters, seasoned all-rounders, and top-class bowlers. With the bat, Explosive opener Hazratullah Zazai leads the top order, supported by the trusty names of Rahmat Shah, Baheer Shah, and young gun Zubaid Akbari. The middle order, headed by wicketkeeper Ikram Alikhil, appears to be stable. 

Their bowling attack is led by Rashid Khan himself, ably supported by veterans like Dawlat Zadran, Zahir Khan, and Farid Malik. Emerging stars such as Ijaz Ahmadzai and Naseer Maroofkhil provide thrilling pace options, so their attack is suited for all conditions. With a blend of youth and experience, the Tigers appear to be one of the most balanced squads in the competition.

See Also: Afghanistan T20 League: Full Squad and Captain of Bost Defenders for SCL 10

Speenghar Tigers Squad for SCL 10:

• Rashid Khan (c)
• Ikram Alikhil (wk)
• Hazratullah Zazai
• Zubaid Akbari
• Rahmat Shah
• Rahmanullah Zadran
• Baheer Shah
• Shams Karokhil
• Ismat Alam
• Ijaz Ahmadzai
• Yousuf Shah
• Farid Malik
• Ibrahim Sharifi
• Faridoon Dawoodzai
• Dawlat Zadran
• Lutfullah
• Zahir Khan
• Naseer Maroofkhil

Despite stiff competition, the Speenghar Tigers look like serious contenders for the SCL 10 title, with a solid mix of power hitters, experience, and world-class bowling led by Rashid Khan.

The Afghanistan Cricket Board (ACB) has officially announced the teams for the 10th edition of the Shpageeza Cricket League (SCL), which will take place from July 19 to August 1, 2025, at Kabul Cricket Stadium. The Bost Defenders, one of the prominent franchises in the league, will be led by Afghan opener Ibrahim Zadran, who will look to guide a squad packed with bowling firepower.

Bost Defenders come into SCL 10 with a strong bowling lineup. Having star spinner Noor Ahmad and left-arm orthodox bowler Bashir Ahmad take care of spin, and pacers Karim Janat, Abdul Rahman, and Azim Zadran spearhead the fast-bowling department, their bowling attack seems invincible. They are also accompanied by experienced campaigners Tariq Stanikzai and Mobin Bakhtyar, providing equilibrium to the bowling attack.

However, the batting is still a concern. while Najib Zadran and Shawkat Zaman show some promise at the top, the lineup lacks proven match-winning players. The top order is not reliable, and the middle order, featuring Mohammad Akram, Allah Noor, and Naveed Obaid, doesn't seem to have the sort of firepower required to break through in pressure situations. Haji Murad, the assigned wicketkeeper, might have to take on a stabilizing role.

See Also: Afghanistan T20 league: Full list of players and captain for Band-e-Amir Dragons for SCL 10

Bost Defenders Squad for SCL 10

• Ibrahim Zadran (c)
  
• Haji Murad (wk)
  
• Mohammad Akram
  
• Naveed Obaid
  
• Bilal Tarin
  
• Najib Zadran
  
• Allah Noor
  
• Mobin Bakhtyar
  
• Tariq Stanikzai
  
• Karim Janat
  
• Shawkat Zaman
  
• Arab Gul
  
• Yama Arab
  
• Abdul Rahman
  
• Bashir Ahmad
  
• Abdullah Tarakhil
  
• Azim Zadran
  
• Noor Ahmad
  

Despite question marks over their batting strength, the Bost Defenders could still mount a serious challenge in SCL 10, thanks to a great mix of spin and pace options that give them the ability to dominate bowling-friendly conditions.