Afghanistan have announced their 22-member preliminary squad for the 2025 Asia Cup, scheduled to be held in the UAE from September 9 to 28, and the tri-series, involving Pakistan and hosts UAE. The final 15-member squad will be selected following a two-week training camp based on performance and fitness.
A key highlight of the squad is the return of promising young spinner AM Ghazanfar, who has made a strong comeback to competitive cricket after recovering from an L4 vertebra fracture. Ghazanfar, who was out of action for several months, returned to domestic cricket with impressive performances.
He emerged as Derbyshire’s top wicket-taker in the 2025 T20 Blast, picking up 16 wickets in 14 matches while maintaining an excellent economy rate of 7.05. One of his standout performances came against Yorkshire at Headingley, where he returned remarkable figures of 4-2-5-2—one of the most economical spells in the tournament’s history.
Afghanistan are placed in Group B alongside Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, and Hong Kong. They will open their Asia Cup campaign against Hong Kong on September 9 in Abu Dhabi, followed by matches against Bangladesh on September 16 and Sri Lanka on September 18. With a spin-heavy squad and a mix of youth and experience, Afghanistan will look to make a strong impression in their bid for a maiden Asia Cup title.
Afghanistan’s preliminary squad for Asia Cup and tri-series:
Rahmanullah Gurbaz (WK), Sediqullah Atal, Wafiullah Tarakhil, Ibrahim Zadran, Darwish Rasooli, Mohammad Ishaq, Rashid Khan (C), Mohammad Nabi, Nangyal Kharoti, Sharafuddin Ashraf, Karim Janat, Azmatullah Omarzai, Gulbadin Naib, Mujeeb Ur Rahman, AM Ghazanfar, Noor Ahmad, Fazal Haq Farooqi, Naveen ul Haq, Farid Malik, Saleem Safi, Abdullah Ahmadzai, Bashir Ahmad.
