Afghanistan Drop Mohammad Nabi from T20Is, Darwish Rasooli from White-Ball Squads

Afghanistan have left veteran allrounder Mohammad Nabi out of their T20I squad, while middle-order batter Darwish Rasooli has been dropped from both the ODI and T20I teams as the selectors announced squads for their upcoming assignments in the UAE.

The Afghanistan Cricket Board has named squads for a one-off Test against Bangladesh, an ODI tri-series involving Bangladesh and Zimbabwe, and a three-match T20I series against Zimbabwe. All the matches will be played in the United Arab Emirates.

The first assignment will be a one-off Test against Bangladesh, beginning on October 9 in Abu Dhabi. The match will mark Rahmat Shah's first full-time Test captaincy assignment after he replaced Hashmatullah Shahidi as skipper.

Rashid Khan and Ibrahim Zadran will continue to be rested from Test cricket following medical advice recommending that they avoid the longest format for now.

Left-arm spinner Zia-ur-Rehman has returned to the Test squad after a 14-month injury absence. Fast-bowling allrounder Ismat Alam, middle-order batter Shahidullah, fast bowler Yamin Ahmadzai and legspinner Khalil Gurbaz have also been recalled.

Shahidullah and Ahmadzai earned their places after strong performances in the ongoing Ahmad Shah Abdali Tournament, Afghanistan's domestic first-class competition.

Nabi Retained for ODIs

Despite being left out of the T20I squad, 41-year-old Mohammad Nabi remains part of Afghanistan's ODI plans.

Nabi played all three T20Is against India in Delhi last month, scoring 8, 20 and 33. However, he went wicketless in two of those matches and recently slipped out of the top 10 in the ICC allrounder rankings.

The selectors have nevertheless retained him in the ODI squad as the Afghanistan Cricket Board and team management remain keen for Nabi to continue playing international cricket with an eye on the 2027 ODI World Cup.

Rasooli Dropped from Both White-Ball Squads

Darwish Rasooli has been omitted from both the ODI and T20I squads following a disappointing run of form.

The batter registered two ducks in his last three innings during the Asian Games after scoring 26 and 2 against India. His recent ODI performances have also been modest, with scores of 24, 13 and 16 during Afghanistan's series in Ireland.

His omission opens the door for several players to strengthen their claims in Afghanistan's white-ball setup.

Tarakhail Earns Maiden T20I Call-Up

Twenty-five-year-old fast bowler Abdullah Tarakhail has received his maiden T20I call-up after impressing across Afghanistan's domestic competitions.

Tarakhail claimed 10 wickets in seven matches during the Shpageeza Cricket League in July and continued to take wickets in the Kabul Premier League and the Ahmad Shah Abdali Tournament.

Seam-bowling allrounder Ijaz Ahmad Ahmadzai and Shahidullah have also been recalled to the T20I squad, while Fareed Ahmad has been promoted from the reserves to the main squad after being included among the travelling reserves for Afghanistan's recent T20I series in India.

Afghanistan's Busy UAE Schedule

Following the Test against Bangladesh, Afghanistan will take part in an ODI tri-series with Bangladesh and Zimbabwe from October 17 to 23.

The tri-series will be played in Abu Dhabi and Sharjah.

Afghanistan will then face Zimbabwe in three T20Is from October 27 to November 1 before playing two Tests against the same opposition, beginning on November 5 and November 13. The entire Zimbabwe series will be played in Sharjah.

Afghanistan Test Squad

Rahmat Shah (capt), Ikram Alikhil (vice-capt & wk), Afsar Zazai (wk), Sediqullah Atal, Abdul Malik, Hashmatullah Shahidi, Rahmanullah Zadran, Shahidullah, Ismat Alam, Qais Ahmad, Zia-ur-Rehman, Khalil Gurbaz, Mohammad Saleem, Zia Ur Rahman Sharifi, Yamin Ahmadzai

Reserves: Bahir Shah, Naseer Khan Maroofkhil, Bilal Sami, Bashir Ahmad

Afghanistan ODI Squad

Rahmat Shah (capt), Rahmanullah Gurbaz (vice-capt & wk), Ikram Alikhil (wk), Sediqullah Atal, Ibrahim Zadran, Hashmatullah Shahidi, Azmatullah Omarzai, Mohammad Nabi, Rashid Khan, Nangeyalia Khan, AM Ghazanfar, Bilal Sami, Zia Ur Rahman Sharifi, Fazalhaq Farooqi, Yamin Ahmadzai

Travelling reserve: Qais Ahmad

Afghanistan T20I Squad

Ibrahim Zadran (capt), Rahmanullah Gurbaz (wk), Noor Rahman (wk), Sediqullah Atal, Mohammad Akram, Shahidullah, Ijaz Ahmad Ahmadzai, Azmatullah Omarzai, Abdullah Tarakhail, Rashid Khan, Noor Ahmad, Mujeeb Ur Rahman, Fazalhaq Farooqi, Abdullah Ahmadzai, Fareed Ahmad

Reserves: Faridoon Dawoodzai, Qais Ahmad, Nangyalai Khan

Afghanistan's latest selection underlines a shift in their T20I combination while keeping experienced campaigners such as Nabi and Rashid Khan in their ODI plans. With a packed schedule ahead, the upcoming assignments in the UAE will provide opportunities for both established players and emerging talent to strengthen their places in the national setup.