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Afghanistan name tournament squad amid boycott calls

By AAP Newswire

Jan 13, 2025

Afghanistan have recalled fit-again Ibrahim Zadran to their 15-man Champions Trophy squad, amid ongoing calls for teams to boycott matches against them due to the Taliban government's crackdown on women's rights.

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Afghan opener Zadran has recovered from ankle surgery to make the squad but team management decided against rushing Mujeeb Ur Rehman back into 50-overs cricket after the spinner sprained his hand last year.

Fellow spinner AM Ghaznafar has been drafted in as a like-for-like replacement for Mujeeb.

Afghanistan have brought in former Pakistan captain Younis Khan to mentor the side in what will mark their first appearance in the tournament featuring the world's top eight ODI teams.

The Hashmatullah Shahidi-led side may be faced with some off-field distractions in Pakistan, with Group B rivals England and South Africa being urged to boycott their matches due to crackdowns by the Taliban since returning to power in 2021.

However, the ECB and Cricket South Africa have ruled out boycotts against Afghanistan in multi-team competitions organised by the governing International Cricket Council (ICC).

They would rather follow a unified and collective approach from all ICC members, the boards said.

Afghanistan begin their campaign against South Africa in Karachi on February 21.

By AAP Newswire

Australian Associated Press