Afsar Zazai

Batter Darwish Rasooli and pacer Salim Safi were on Thursday picked in Afghanistan's 15-man squad for the T20 World Cup in Australia.

Afghanistan's Hashmatullah Shahidi scored a record 246 runs, and Zimbabwe's Brian Bennett took 5 wickets in a drawn Test match in Bulawayo. Both teams set national record first innings scores, with Afghanistan posting 699 and Zimbabwe 586. Despite Bennett's impressive debut performance, rain and stability from veterans Ervine and Williams ensured the match ended without a result.

Captain Hashmatullah Shahidi remained unbeaten on 179 as Afghanistan trails Zimbabwe by 71 runs after a rain-hit fourth day of the first Test. Rahmat Shah scored 234 in a 364-run partnership with Shahidi, while rain halted play at 515/3. Both teams face slim chances of victory with more rain forecast for the final day.

Rahmat Shah's remarkable 139-run performance significantly bolstered Afghanistan's position in the second Test against Zimbabwe, finishing the third day at 291 for 7 with a lead of 205 runs. Ismat Alam supported with a solid 64. Despite early setbacks, Shah's resilience helped Afghanistan recover. Blessing Muzarabani was Zimbabwe's top bowler, taking 4 wickets for 71 runs.

Afghanistan's final 16-member squad for the one-off Test against New Zealand on September 9 in Greater Noida includes uncapped players Riaz Hassan, Shamsurrahman, and Khalil Ahmed. Rashid Khan is absent due to injury; Zahir Khan and Zia-ur-Rehman will lead the spin attack. The selection followed a 10-day preparation camp involving 19 players.

Ace spinner Rashid Khan was Monday named in a strong Afghanistan squad for the five-match Twenty20 international series in Ireland starting next week. The 23-year-old is a key for Afghanistan in Ireland as well as in the Asia Cup (August-September) in United Arab Emirates and Twenty20 World Cup (October-November) in Australia.

Not very often do you see spinners dominating Day One of a Test match. But, a 'heavyweight' performance by Rakheem Cornwall put West Indies in a position of strength on the opening day of their one-off Test against Afghanistan.

Afghanistan on Monday dropped four players from their Twenty20 World Cup squad, also shuffling the one-day combination for their tour of Bangladesh starting next month.

All-rounder Samiullah Shinwari was on Tuesday recalled after a two-year absence from Afghanistan's cricket team, as the country announced its 17-man squad for the Asia Cup kicking off in the United Arab Emirates later this month.

Afghanistan Cricket Board (ACB) on Tuesday announced the squads for the upcoming Test against Bangladesh and T20I triangular series. Spinner Rashid Khan will lead the team in both the formats. Selectors named 15-member squad for Bangladesh Test and 17-member squad for Afghanistan-Bangladesh-Zimbabwe T20I triangular series.

Due to a finger injury, Afghanistan star spinner Rashid Khan is likely to miss the first Test against Zimbabwe that will kick-start on Tuesday.

Afghanistan's star all-rounder Rashid Khan will miss the upcoming Test match against New Zealand, scheduled between September 9 to 13, due to a back injury sustained in July. This match in Greater Noida marks Afghanistan’s 10th Test. Rashid's last Test outing was in March 2021. Afghanistan Cricket Board has not explained his absence officially.

Afghanistan are a young Test team who are trying to settle into the demands of the longest form of the game. Despite having some players who are fond of playing fearless cricket, they still lack exposure and experience in this format of the game.

The Greater Noida Sports Complex Ground will host a historic one-off test match between Afghanistan and New Zealand. Led by captains Hashmatullah Shahidi and Tim Southee, the event is expected to draw over 10,000 cricket fans. Supported by Play Sports, this match marks a significant moment for the city.

Afghanistan has added spinner AM Ghazanfar to their Test squad for the series against Zimbabwe, starting in Bulawayo. Ghazanfar replaces Rashid Khan, who is absent for personal reasons. Ghazanfar's recent impressive performances, including a standout showing in the ODI series, have earned him this opportunity.

Afghanistan have recalled batsmen Mohammad Shahzad and Hazratullah Zazai to their 16-man squad for the two-match Twenty20 International series against Bangladesh later this month.

Paceman Blessing Muzarabani took four wickets while skipper Sean Williams hit an unbeaten half-century to help Zimbabwe take lead on the opening day of the first Test against Afghanistan in Abu Dhabi on Tuesday.

The Afghanistan Cricket Board (ACB) announced a preliminary squad consisting of 20 players for the upcoming one-off Test match against New Zealand. The match is scheduled to take place from September 9-13 in Greater Noida, India. The selected players will depart for India on August 28 to participate in a week-long preparation camp in Greater Noida. The selection committee officials stated that the final squad will be announced at the end of the camp considering players' performance and fitness.

Burly off-spinner Rahkeem Cornwall picked up a career-best seven-wicket haul to help West Indies bowl out Afghanistan for a paltry 187 and give his side the upper hand on the opening day of the lone Test on Wednesday.

Star spinner Rashid Khan is likely to miss most of the games in the Pakistan Super League (PSL) as he was named in Afghanistan's squad for the two-match Test series against Zimbabwe.

The Indian men's cricket team, led by Ruturaj Gaikwad, was awarded the gold medal in the Asian Games after the final against Afghanistan was abandoned due to heavy rain. India won the gold medal based on their higher T20 ranking. Afghanistan settled for the silver medal. This victory completes a clean sweep for India in cricket competitions at the Asian Games, with the women's team also winning gold. The match was called off with Afghanistan batting at 112 for five in 18.2 overs.

Afghanistan on Tuesday announced its squads for the three one-day internationals and as many Twenty20 clashes on their tour of Zimbabwe next month.

The first Test between Zimbabwe and Afghanistan ended in a draw with record-breaking scores. Zimbabwe scored 586 runs, while Afghanistan amassed 699, with historic performances from Hashmatullah Shahidi and Rahmat Shah. Zimbabwe's Brian Bennett impressed with both ball and bat. Rain affected the match's conclusion. The second Test starts Thursday in Bulawayo.

There is a distinct advantage of having Rashid Khan in the team as Afghanistan coach Phil Simmons feels all the spotlight which the star spinner has garnered has allowed his lesser-known colleagues to prepare peacefully for the historic one-off Test against India.

India won the men's cricket competition at the Asian Games, clinching the gold medal in their debut appearance. However, the final match against Afghanistan was abandoned due to rain, causing the match to be called off. As per the Asian Games-specific rule, Team India was declared the winner. Afghanistan posted a total of 112-5 under floodlights in Hangzhou.

In the one-off Test match between Bangladesh and Afghanistan in Dhaka, the hosts strengthened their position by reaching 134-1 in their second innings on the second day of the match. Despite having a 236-run lead in the first innings, Bangladesh chose not to enforce the follow-on and extended their overall lead to 370 runs by the end of the day's play.

Najmul Hossain led the way with his third Test century as Bangladesh asserted their dominance over a struggling Afghanistan side on the first day of the one-off Test in Dhaka on Wednesday.

World's premier T20 bowler Rashid Khan will headline a four-pronged spin attack in the 15-strong Afghanistan squad announced on Tuesday for the historic one-off Test against India in Bengaluru, starting June 14.

Bangladesh achieved a remarkable Test victory as they defeated Afghanistan by a staggering margin of 546 runs. This victory margin by runs is the largest in nearly 90 years, highlighting Bangladesh's dominance in the match. Taskin Ahmed played a significant role in securing this triumph with his exceptional bowling performance, claiming career-best figures of 4-37.

World Cup 2015 is almost a month old and here's a cache of super catches - some of them even for losing causes - that won't be easily forgotten.