Afghanistan recall fast bowler Naveen for World Cup

14 Sep, 2023

KABUL: Fast bowler Naveen-ul-Haq has returned to the Afghanistan one-day squad for the upcoming World Cup in India more than two years after playing his last ODI.

The right-arm quick has featured regularly in Twenty20 Internationals but played the last of his seven ODIs against Ireland in Abu Dhabi in January 2021.

The 23-year-old joins Fazalhaq Farooqi, Abdul Rahman and all-rounder Azmatullah Omarzai in Afghanistan’s pace attack for the showpiece event beginning next month.

Omarzai missed the ongoing Asia Cup with a side strain but has recovered to reclaim his place in the 15-member squad announced on Wednesday.

Rashid Khan will spearhead a spin attack that also includes Mohammad Nabi, Mujeeb Ur Rahman and Noor Ahmad. All-rounder Gulbadin Naib, who led the team when they finished bottom at the 2019 World Cup in England and Wales, is one of three reserve players.

Afghanistan will kick off their World Cup campaign on Oct. 7 against Bangladesh in Dharamsala.

Afghanistan squad: Hashmatullah Shahidi (captain), Ibrahim Zadran, Rahmanullah Gurbaz, Rahmat Shah, Riaz Hassan, Najibullah Zadran, Mohammad Nabi, Ikram Alikhil, Azmatullah Omarzai, Rashid Khan, Abdul Rahman, Noor Ahmad, Mujeeb Ur Rahman, Fazalhaq Farooqi, Naveen-Ul-Haq (

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