Afghanistan announce squad for one-off Test against Ireland; Rahmanullah Gurbaz in line for potential debut

HIGHLIGHTS: Afghanistan Cricket Board announced a strong squad for the one-off Test match against Ireland on Monday, February 26. The star wicketkeeper batter Rahmanullah Gurbaz is included in the team for his potential debut in red-ball cricket but the ace spin bowler Rashid Khan continues to miss out due to injury.

 Afghanistan, led by Hashmatullah Shahidi, will be playing their ninth Test match, the second against Ireland. Abu Dhabi's Tolerance Oval will host the five-day match starting February 28.

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Gurbaz, 22, made his international debut in 2019 and has already made 90 appearances for the national team. He is part of a 16-member squad that also includes wicketkeeper Ikram Alikhail, who wore the wicketkeeper's gloves when the two teams last played in Dehradun in 2019.

The squad also includes uncapped leg-spinner Khalil Gurbaz, who has taken 40 wickets in 10 first-class matches.

"The team completed a 10-day training camp in Abu Dhabi. All 22 players and support staff attended the camp and worked with the players to ensure comprehensive preparation for the series." said ACB Interim Chief Selector Ahmad Shah Sulimankil. ``We are closely monitoring the progress of the matches and have assembled a squad that includes several new faces who have performed well in recent domestic events.''

Afghanistan Test Team for Test against Ireland: Hashmatullah・Shahidi (c), Rahmat Shah (vc), Ikram Alikhail (week), Rahmanullah Gulbaz (week), Ibrahim Zadran, Noor Ali Zadran, Abdul Malik, Bahar Shah, Nasir Jamal, Karim - Jannat, Khalil Gulbaz, Zahir Khan, Zia ur Rehman, Nijat Masood, Ibrahim Abdulrahimzai, Naveed Zadran.