The announcement regarding Rashid Khan's return to Afghanistan's Test squad for the upcoming series against Zimbabwe indicated his involvement in his first Test match in over three years. It was mentioned that the famed spinner had previously taken a hiatus from the longest format due to medical advice following a groin injury. Earlier, he had played his last Test match in March 2021 against Zimbabwe in Abu Dhabi.
The squad reportedly features seven uncapped players, notably including all-rounder Ismat Alam, left-arm spinner Zahir Shehzad, and left-arm fast bowler Bashir Ahmad Afghan, all of whom have demonstrated impressive performances in domestic circuits. Additionally, Sediqullah Atal, Azmatullah Omarzai, Fareed Ahmad Malik, and Riaz Hassan are also set to make their Test debuts.
Ahmad Shah Sulimankhil, acting chief selector of the Afghanistan Cricket Board (ACB), expressed optimism regarding Rashid's return as indicative of the future of Afghanistan's red-ball cricket. He highlighted the team's recent preparations in Nangarhar province as instrumental in getting the players ready for the series.
Furthermore, reserve players Nasir Jamal, Zia Ur Rahman Sharifi, and Ibrahim Abdulrahimzai were included as part of the squad. Afghanistan's head coach, Jonathan Trott, opted out of other formats for personal reasons, leaving Hashmatullah Shahidi as captain, with Rahmat Shah serving as deputy. Both Test matches are set to take place in Bulawayo from December 26 to January 6.
Afghanistan Test squad: Hashmatullah Shahidi (capt), Rahmat Shah (vice-capt), Ikram Alikhail (wk), Afsar Zazai (wk), Riaz Hassan, Sediqullah Atal, Abdul Malik, Baheer Shah Mahboob, Ismat Alam, Azmatullah Omarzai, Zahir Khan, Zia Ur Rehman Akbar, Zahir Shehzad, Rashid Khan, Yamin Ahmadzai, Bashir Ahmad Afghan, Naveed Zadran, and Fareed Ahmad Malik