Hamid Hassan was included in Afghanistan’s World Cup squad even though he last played ODI cricket in 2016
Image courtesy of: Zimbio
Afghanistan pace bowler Hamid Hassan has been picked for the World Cup, which begins in England and Wales next month.
Hamid’s inclusion in the squad is quite surprising, especially since he last represented Afghanistan in an ODI in July 2016.
Meanwhile, high-profile spinners Rashid Khan and Mujeeb Ur Rahman made the cut, while all-rounder Mohammad Nabi was in the side as well.
Gulbadin Naib will captain Afghanistan during the World Cup after Asghar Afghan was sacked as skipper.
Despite his removal as captain, Asghar was still included in the squad.
Ikram Ali Khil, Karim Janat and Sayed Shirzad failed to make the cut but have been named as replacement players.
Left-arm wrist-spinner Zahir Khan, batsman Javed Ahmadi and left-arm seamers Shapoor Zadran and Fareed Ahmad were all left out.
The 15-man squad was chosen after 23 players participated in a training camp in Potchefstroom in South Africa.
“As chief selector, it is my duty to select a competitive team,” Dawlat Khan Ahmadzai was quoted as saying by ESPNcricinfo. “However, there were some challenges that we needed to handle. We selected the best squad considering factors such as experience, fitness, team balance, current form and conditions.
“Luckily for us, the come-back of senior fast bowler Hamid Hassan is good news. However, we will take into account his form and fitness during upcoming practice matches.
“It is has been a six-month preparation process for the ICC Cricket World Cup. The mission is to play inspirational cricket in the tournament; I know there are strong teams but we will do our level best to achieve our goals.”
Afghanistan will kick off their World Cup campaign against Australia in Bristol on June 1.
Afghanistan’s World Cup Squad: Gulbadin Naib (capt), Mohammad Shahzad (wk), Noor Ali Zadran, Hazratullah Zazai, Rahmat Shah, Asghar Afghan, Hashmatullah Shahidi, Najibullah Zadran, Samiullah Shinwari, Mohammad Nabi, Rashid Khan, Dawlat Zadran, Aftab Alam, Hamid Hassan, Mujeeb ur Rahman