Left-arm seamer Fazalhaq Farooqi, along with all-rounders Gulbadin Naib and Karim Janat, has been left out of Afghanistan’s ODI and T20I parties for next month’s white-ball trip to Bangladesh – the matches will, in fact, be staged in the UAE after the original July schedule fell through.
The three ODIs take place in Abu Dhabi from 8-14 October, while Sharjah hosts the T20Is on 2, 3 and 5 October.
New names, familiar gaps
Twenty-year-old Bashir Ahmad, another left-arm quick, is the like-for-like replacement for Farooqi in both formats. He is yet to earn a cap but has taken 12 wickets in 14 domestic T20s at just over nine an over. Top-order batter Wafiullah Tarakhil, 18, has been called up for the T20Is on the back of 298 runs at a strike rate north of 155 in the recent Shpageeza League.
Mystery spinner AM Ghazanfar, 17, keeps his place in the ODI squad yet slips to the reserve list for the T20s, where Afghanistan’s spin depth is in no danger: Rashid Khan, Noor Ahmad, Mujeeb Ur Rahman and Mohammad Nabi remain first in line.
Seamer Abdullah Ahmadzai returns to the main T20 group. Like Tarakhil, he travelled as a reserve to the Asia Cup, where Afghanistan fell at the first hurdle.
“After a long six-month break from international cricket following the ICC Champions Trophy, we are now entering a packed season with many T20I games scheduled,” ACB chief executive Naseeb Khan said. “This provides the team with an incredible opportunity to prepare for the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup next year.
“The performances in the Asia Cup 2025 were not as expected, but ups and downs are part of the game. As always, we remain hopeful that AfghanAtalan will bounce back strongly and make our nation proud in the upcoming events.”
Why Farooqi goes
Farooqi’s absence feels significant. The left-armer struggled for rhythm and swing at the Asia Cup, conceding 8.30 an over and managing only three wickets in as many outings. Team management have opted for a clean break rather than risk an under-confident bowler on flat UAE surfaces. With Bashir still raw, senior seamer Fareed Ahmad Malik might carry extra responsibility.
Naib and Janat both found themselves behind Azmatullah Omarzai and Nabi in the all-rounder queue. Selection chief Ahmad Shinwari hinted that batting depth, rather than seam-bowling options, drove the final XI at the Asia Cup, and the new squads reflect that shift: Tarakhil, Darwish Rasooli and Sediqullah Atal give coach Jonathan Trott additional top-order cover.
Conditions and context
Sharjah’s evening games often help spinners early before dew arrives, so Rashid and company should be in business. Abu Dhabi later in the week can be two-paced; Afghanistan’s cutters and change-ups worked there when they beat Bangladesh 2-1 in last year’s ODIs.
Afghanistan, though, were edged by eight runs in their most recent meeting – a low-scoring T20I at the Asia Cup. Bangladesh attacked Rashid, milked the support spin and defended 138 through Mustafizur’s yorkers. That night revealed Afghanistan’s dependence on Farooqi’s new-ball bursts; the upcoming series will show whether the change to Bashir or Abdullah can close that gap.
Leadership angles
Hashmatullah Shahidi continues as ODI captain, offering calm in a line-up prone to sprinting before it can jog. Rashid leads the T20 side, a role he resumed last year. His ability to juggle bowling changes remains central, though the lack of a banker death bowler forces him to gamble earlier than he might like.
Nangeyalia Kharote, an accurate left-arm spinner who also bats a bit, slips quietly into the ODI squad and could be a useful foil to Rashid if pitches slow down.
Bangladesh’s diary is the reason the series ended up split over two windows and moved to the Emirates. With two Tests scrubbed for now and no guarantee they will be rescheduled, the relationship between the boards appears practical rather than expansive: get the cricket played, keep broadcasters happy, move on.
Squads
T20Is (Sharjah, 2–5 Oct): Rashid Khan (capt), Ibrahim Zadran (vc), Rahmanullah Gurbaz (wk), Mohammad Ishaq (wk), Sediqullah Atal, Wafiullah Tarakhil, Darwish Rasooli, Azmatullah Omarzai, Mohammad Nabi, Sharafuddin Ashraf, Noor Ahmad, Mujeeb Ur Rahman, Bashir Ahmad, Fareed Ahmad Malik, Abdullah Ahmadzai. Reserves: AM Ghazanfar, Rahmat Shah.
ODIs (Abu Dhabi, 8–14 Oct): Hashmatullah Shahidi (capt), Rahmanullah Gurbaz (wk), Ibrahim Zadran, Rahmat Shah, Riaz Hassan, Azmatullah Omarzai, Mohammad Nabi, Rashid Khan, Noor Ahmad, AM Ghazanfar, Nangeyalia Kharote, Fareed Ahmad Malik, Bashir Ahmad, Sharafuddin Ashraf. Reserves: Bilal Sami, Faridoon Dawoodzai.
Outlook
Selection noises often prove louder than on-field results, yet for Afghanistan the two are linked. If Bashir embraces the new-ball role and Tarakhil translates domestic freedom into international runs, those omissions will look like sound planning rather than a gamble.
Just as likely, Bangladesh’s seasoned top order may expose raw pace and inexperience. Either way, Afghanistan should learn rapidly – and with a T20 World Cup looming, the timing suits them.
