Ibrahim Zadran set to continue as Afghanistan T20 captain in Sri Lanka

Afghanistan Cricket Board (ACB) have announced that Ibrahim Zadran will continue to lead the side in the three-match T20I series against Sri Lanka, with regular skipper Rashid Khan still recovering from back surgery. 

Apart from Rashid, Afghanistan have a near full-strength squad available at their disposal, with the likes of Rahmanullah Gurbaz, Hazratullah Zazai, Gulbadin Naib, and Mohammad Nabi making the crux of the team. But they have still added fresh faces like Wafadar Momand, who has played only one T20I, to the set-up.

"We have a close sight on the upcoming T20 World Cup for which we want to prepare a very good mix of players consisting of both juniors and seniors. This series, alongside the three T20Is against Ireland in March, is a good opportunity for us to test our bench strength and finalize a good squad for the mega event," chief selector Ahmad Shah Sulimankhil said. 

Naseeb Khan, the CEO of ACB, said, "We have consistently aimed to provide our young players with the exposure they deserve, a commitment we have maintained successfully so far. Building a strong bench strength is a priority for us, as we want to ensure we have good backups for our key players when needed, the role Qais Ahmad is currently playing for Rashid Khan."

Afghanistan Squad: Ibrahim Zadran (C), Rahmanullah Gurbaz (WK), Mohammad Ishaq Rahimi (WK), Hazratullah Zazai, Gulbadin Naib, Mohammad Nabi, Najibullah Zadran, Azmatullah Omarzai, Karim Janat, Sharafuddin Ashraf, Fazal Haq Farooqi, Fareed Ahmad, Naveen Ul Haq, Noor Ahmad, Wafadar Momand and Qais Ahmad