Allah Ghazanfar rewarded, added to Afghan squad for Zimbabwe Tests

Afghanistan rewarded youngster Allah Ghazanfar with a maiden Test call-up after an impressive showing in the ODI leg of the team’s Zimbabwe tour. 

Ghazanfar, who picked up nine wickets in the three ODIs, one of which was abandoned eventually, was added to the Afghanistan Test squad on December 25 (Wednesday) while the first Test of the series begins on Boxing Day, December 26. 

“AM Ghazanfar has been added to Afghanistan's squad for the two-match test series against Zimbabwe, with the first being scheduled to begin tomorrow in Bulawayo,” Afghanistan Cricket Board’s official X handle posted. 

The Afghanistan squad for the Test series was announced a week before on December 16 and the 18-year-old off-spinner was not even part of the reserved list of that squad. However, his five-wicket haul in the third ODI and three and two wickets in the second and the first game quickened his transition from white to red-ball cricket. 

Zimbabwe, too, made a change in the squad. Pacer Takudzwa Chataira suffered a right-side strain during practice, and therefore, Victor Nyauchi was called in to replace him.

Zimbabwe Test Squad   

Craig Ervine (captain), Ben Curran, Brian Bennett, Johnathan Campbell, Joylord Gumbie, Trevor Gwandu, Takudzwanashe Kaitano, Tadiwanashe Marumani, Brandon Mavuta, Nyasha Mayavo, Blessing Muzarabani, Dion Myers, Richard Ngarava, Newman Nyamhuri, Victor Nyauchi, Sikandar Raza, Sean Williams

Afghanistan Test Squad

Hashmatullah Shahidi (c), Rahmat Shah (vc), 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, Fareed Ahmad Malik.

Addition: AM Ghazanfar

Reserves: Nasir Jamal, Zia Ur Rahman Sharifi, Ibrahim Abdulrahimzai