Bangladesh vs Afghanistan 2016: Afghanistan name three uncapped players for the ODI series

Afghanistan made some surprising selections for the upcoming ODI series against Bangladesh starting on 25^th September. They have named three uncapped players in the squad- Ihsanullah, Karim Janat and Naveen-ul-Haq and have surprisingly left out experienced blokes like Noor Ali Zadran, Javed Ahmedi, Hamid Hassan and Shapoor Zadran. These players were a part of the squad that toured Ireland and Scotland in July.

Ihsanullah was a part of Afghanistan’s squad during their intercontinental match against Netherlands earlier in the year and scored 15 in his only first-class match that Afghanistan won handsomely. The selection panel hasn’t found a settled opening batsman to partner Mohammad Shehzad but the 18-year-old rookie might just be the prospect Afghanistan were looking for.

The teenager was part of the U-19 World Cup squad for Afghanistan in the 2016 U-19 World Cup in Bangladesh and has scored 294 runs in 12 youth ODIs. Ihsanullah’s elder brother, Nawroz Mangal also made a comeback in the squad after getting dropped from the Ireland and Scotland tour.

16-year-old kid prodigy Naveen-ul-Haq who is a part of the squad was also a member of the Afghanistan team in the U-19 World Cup in Bangladesh. The medium fast bowler will be eager to make his debut in the upcoming T20 series.

Karim Janat, who was also a part of the U-19 World Cup squad will be the third rookie in the squad. He was Afghanistan’s leading run scorer in the tournament finishing with 273 runs at an impressive average of 45.50. They have also brought back Shabir Noori who last donned the national colours four years ago after consistent performances in the domestic circuit.

We are very thankful to BCB for hosting Afghanistan Cricket Team: Shafiq Stanikzai, chief executive of Afghanistan Cricket Board

This will be the first bilateral series between the two nations and the chairman of Afghanistan cricket board promised some entertaining cricket from the visiting side.

Prior to this series, Afghanistan has met Bangladesh thrice in international cricket. The spirited Afghans registered a memorable victory against their Asian counterparts in their first match, defeating the Tigers by 32 runs in the 2014 Asia Cup. They again met in the 2014 T20 World Cup where Bangladesh brushed aside their opponents quite comprehensively by 9 wickets.

In their most recent meeting in the 2015 World Cup in Australia, Bangladesh were handsome winners by 105 runs. The upcoming series will provide the Asian minnows a chance to prove their mettle against a Test playing nation and show their mental toughness at the highest level.

"We are very thankful to Bangladesh Cricket Board for hosting Afghanistan National Cricket Team and we are committed to playing as many international games as possible. We will learn and deliver good cricket for cricket lovers” said Shafiq Stanikzai, the chief executive of Afghanistan Cricket Board.