Kabul: Ace spinner Rashid Khan has been included in the Afghanistan squad for the three-match one-day series against South Africa this month, selectors said on Thursday.
The 25-year-old leg-spinner missed the one-off Test against New Zealand in India, which is likely to be washed out after four days of rain delays, because of medical advice to rest his back.
Rashid underwent back surgery in November after the ODI World Cup in India.
The Afghanistan Cricket Board (ACB) said Rashid returns to the squad but opener Ibrahim Zadran will miss the series in Sharjah.
“Afghanistan will have the services of its all-time greatest spinner Rashid but prolific opener Zadran was ruled out due to an ankle sprain in his left leg,” the ACB said in a news release.
Another spinner, Mujeeb Ur Rahman, is still recovering from a finger sprain, it said.
Batters Darwish Rasooli and Abdul Malik, who played strongly in domestic one-day competitions, have been included in Zadran’s absence.
Hashmatullah Shahidi will lead the squad.
The matches will be played on September 18, 20 and 22 at Sharjah stadium, which will become the first ground in the world to host 250 ODIs.
Meanwhile, rain forced the fourth successive day of the only Test between Afghanistan and New Zealand to be called off on Thursday, leaving the match in danger of being washed out without a ball being bowled.
With overnight downpours adding to an already saturated Greater Noida ground, near New Delhi, umpires inspected before the scheduled start time of 9:30am and declared that no play would be possible.
The toss is still to take place at Afghanistan’s adopted home ground, which has witnessed incessant rain for two weeks.
The venue, which is hosting its first Test, has come under scrutiny for lacking world-class facilities and having only basic drainage.
Hand-held electric fans had been used earlier in the week in a desperate attempt to dry the saturated turf.
Afghanistan, who are unable to play international matches at home because of the security situation, have played several Twenty20 and one-day internationals at the venue since 2017 after the Board of Control for Cricket in India offered use of its facilities.
This is only Afghanistan’s 10th five-day match since they were granted Test status in 2017.
Tim Southee’s New Zealand will next travel after Friday’s scheduled final day for two Tests in Sri Lanka before returning for three more against India.
Squad: Hashmatullah Shahidi (captain), Rahmat Shah, Rahmanullah Gurbaz, Ikram Alikhil, Abdul Malik, Riaz Hassan, Darwish Rasooli, Azmatullah Omarzai, Mohammad Nabi, Gulbadin Naib, Rashid Khan, Nangeyalia Kharote, Allah Mohammad Ghazanfar, Fazalhaq Farooqi, Bilal Sami, Naveed Zadran, Fareed Ahmad.
