On August 27th, the Afghanistan Cricket Board (ACB) announced the Afghanistan National Cricket Team for the upcoming T20I Tri-series in the UAE.
Before the Asia Cup 2025, Afghanistan will play Pakistan and the UAE in a T20I Tri-series. The Asia Cup is from September 9th to 28th in the UAE. This Tri-series gives Afghanistan a chance to prepare as they play against the UAE and Pakistan in T20I matches.
The Tri-series starts on August 29th with Afghanistan vs Pakistan. Then UAE vs Pakistan on August 30th. In September, action continues on 1st, 2nd, 4th and 5th with these matches: Afghanistan vs UAE, Afghanistan vs Pakistan, Pakistan vs UAE, Afghanistan vs UAE. All these matches including the final on September 7th will be in Sharjah.
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The ACB selection committee picked the squads for both the Tri-series and the Asia Cup 2025 and they are almost the same with just one change.
Naveen-ul-Haq, the star fast bowler is in the Asia Cup 2025 squad but won’t be playing in the Tri-series. Abdollah Ahmadzai who is on standby for the Asia Cup is replacing him.
Ibrahim Zadran is back in the Afghan T20I team for the first time since ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2024. AM Ghazanfar might get his first chance to play in a T20I.
Rashid Khan will lead a strong Afghanistan National Cricket Team which includes players like Rahmamullah Gurbaz, Noor Ahmad, Mohammad Nabi, Karim Janat and Azmatullah Omarzai.
Here’s the Afghanistan squad for the UAE Tri-series:
Rashid Khan (Captain), Rahmanullah Gurbaz (Wicket-keeper), Ibrahim Zadran, Darwish Rasooli, Sediqullah Atal, Azmatullah Omarzai, Karim Janat, Mohammad Nabi, Gulbadin Naib, Sharafuddin Ashraf, Mohammad Ishaq, Mujeeb Ur Rahman, AM Ghazanfar, Noor Ahmad, Fareed Ahmad, Abdollah Ahmadzai, Fazalhaq Farooqi.
Just recently ACB appointed John Mooney, a former Ireland player as the new Fielding Coach and Nirmalan Thanabalasingam from Australia as the new Physiotherapist.
The Afghanistan players are in Abu Dhabi where they are training and preparing. John Mooney and Nirmalan Thanabalasingam have joined them there.
John Mooney played for Ireland and played 91 international matches. He has coaching certificates from ECB and worked with Afghanistan before from 2018 to 2019.
Nirmalan Thanabalasingam has worked with teams like Desert Vipers (ILT20), Cricket NSW, Rangpur Riders (BPL), Montreal Tigers (GT20 – Canada), ICC World XI and Sydney Thunder (BBL).
