The Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) on Friday announced its squad for the upcoming ODI series against Afghanistan. Najmul Hossain Shanto, who had expressed his desire to quit captaincy following the South Africa Tests, has been named the captain for the series.

The announcement follows the discussion between Shanto and BCB president Faruque Ahmed on Thursday evening, as Shanto had informed the board of his reluctance to continue as Bangladesh's all-format captain.

Bangladesh are without Shakib Al Hasan, who Faruque said voluntarily pulled out of reckoning for this ODI series. Litton Das is also missing due to fever which kept him out of the Chattogram Test against South Africa.

Pacer Nahid Rana is the only uncapped player in the squad, which sees the return of opener Zakir Hasan and left-arm spinner Nasum Ahmed. 

Zakir has featured in only one ODI, while Nasum's last 50-over game came in the ODI World Cup in India last year. 

Anamul Haque, Taijul Islam and Hasan Mahmud have not found places in the squad with Mahmud missing due to a shoulder injury. Wicketkeeper batter Litton Das also misses out due to fever. 

The ODI series will kick start on November 6, followed by the second and third games on November 9 and 11. All the matches will take place at the Sharjah Cricket Stadium.

Bangladesh's ODI squad for Afghanistan:

Soumya Sarkar, Tanzid Hasan, Zakir Hasan, Nazmul Hossain Shanto (capt), Mushfiqur Rahim, Mahmudullah Riyad, Towhid Hridoy, Jaker Ali, Mehidy Hassan Miraz, Rishad Hossain, Nasum Ahmed, Taskin Ahmed, Mustafizur Rahman, Shoriful Islam, Nahid Rana

Afghan cricket star Rashid Khan has been retained by the Indian Premier League side Gujrat Titans ahead of the auction.

Khan has been retained for 180 million Indian rupees (approx. $2.14 million).

“No T20 team would be complete without a world-class spinner, and we are fortunate to have one of the very best in Rashid Khan,” Gujrat Titans said in a news release.

“Rashid started weaving his magic right from the outset in our first season, where he returned with 19 wickets. He upped the ante in 2023 with 27 wickets, which includes a spectacular hat-trick against Kolkata Knight Riders. Rashid also became the first player to cross 50 wickets for our franchise during the 2024 season,” according to the news release.

“Also not to forget, he underlines his value as an all-rounder with remarkable contributions as a batter - let it be those last ball finishes against SRH in 2022 or PBKS in 2024, or the unforgettable night in 2023 at Wankhede where he smashed his highest T20 score,” it added.

Rashid Khan was picked by Gujrat Titans before the auction in 2022, when the franchise had just entered the IPL. He got 150 million Indian rupees ($1.78 million) then.

Other players retained by Gujrat Titans are Shubman Gill, Sai Sudharsan, Shahrukh Khan and Rahul Tewatia.

IPL auction will take place in November or December.

Afghanistan’s Deputy Prime Minister Mohammed Abdul Kabir sent a message of congratulations to the Afghanistan A cricket team on Monday after Afghan Abdalyan lifted the ACC Men’s T20 Emerging Teams Asia Cup 2024 trophy in Oman on Sunday night.

In his congratulatory message, Kabir called the final a “thrilling” match and said it was a “triumph”.

“Congratulations to all citizens and cricket players on this remarkable achievement.

“Afghan youth and athletes deserve great recognition for their dedication and for showcasing our nation's pride in every competition,” he said.

Messages of congratulations poured in overnight from fans around the world and from the cricketing fraternity.

The Afghanistan Cricket Board (ACB) not only paid tribute to the players but also to the often-forgotten support staff who helped propel the team to victory.

In a post on X, the board said: “A huge shoutout to our team management and support staff for their unwavering support and dedication to Afghan Abdalyan's success in this event.”

Afghanistan star all-rounder Mohammad Nabi also posted a message of congratulations on X.

He said: “Zabardast! What an incredible achievement by our young lions, lifting the ACC Emerging Teams Asian Cup 2024! Proud of these talented boys for bringing glory to the nation. Congratulations to all Afghans! Inshallah, even greater heights await!”

Sunday’s win shows the progress Afghanistan has made as a cricketing nation and after beating Sri Lanka A in the final, the excitement in their camp was tangible.

Afghan Abdalyan won the game by seven wickets, chasing a modest target of 134.

As soon as the last ball crossed the ropes, Afghanistan players ran towards the ground in delight.

There were congratulatory hugs and handshakes all around and Afghanistan fans in the crowd were also overjoyed. It was indeed a moment of great pride for all Afghan people.

The Player of the Tournament award went to a deserving Sediqullah Atal, the man who put on an unmatched consistency in the entire competition and scored 368 runs throughout the tournament.