Afghan star leg spinner Rashid Khan I have skipped the long awaited one Boxing Test against Zimbabwe At Queens Sports Club in Bulawayo. The Afghanistan Cricket Board (ACB) confirmed that Rashid's absence was due to personal reasons, specifically his commitment to a charity event.
Details of Rashid Khan's absence
Rashid, who has not played a Test match since March 2021, was initially included in the 18-member squad for the two-match series against Zimbabwe. However, he withdrew from the opening Test a day before the match was scheduled to start. An ACB official stated, “He's absent for a charity event for the first Test, as far as I know.” Explaining that his focus was on this important commitment rather than participating in the match.
Rashid's performance in Test cricket
Rashid Khan has been a pivotal player for Afghanistan, known for his exceptional bowling skills and ability to change the course of a game. His record in Test cricket includes 34 wickets in just five matches, with an impressive bowling average of 22.35. Despite his talent, Rashid has faced challenges with injuries that have kept him out of several recent Test series, including the one against New Zealand and others earlier this year. The absence of the leg-spinner is a major blow to the Afghan team as they look to build. On their recent success in limited formats. Afghanistan recently registered a 2-1 win in the T20I series against Zimbabwe and aim to carry that momentum into the Test arena.
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The second Test is scheduled to be played at the same venue from January 2, 2025, and Rashid is expected to rejoin the squad for that match.
ZIM vs AFG: Playing XI of both teams
Afghanistan: Abd al-Malik, Siddiqullah Atal, Rahma Shah, Heshmatullah Shahidi (c), God is GhazanfarAfsar Zazai (week), Azmatullah Omarzai, Shahidullah Kamal, Naveed Zadran, Ziaur Rahman, Zahir Khan
Zimbabwe: Joylord Gombe (wk), Ben Curran, Takudzwanashi Caetano, Sean Williams, Craig Irvine (c), Dion Myers, Brandon Mafuta, Brian Bennett, Newman Nyamhuri, Blessing Muzarabane, Trevor Gwandu.