Sport
Uncapped Ghazanfar, Kharote in Afghanistan squad for ODIs against Ireland

Mystery spinner Allah Mohammad Ghazanfar and left-arm spin-bowling allrounder Nangeyalia Kharote have been included in the Afghanistan senior side for the upcoming three-match ODI series against Ireland in Sharjah. Both had played for Afghanistan in the Under-19 World Cup.
Rashid Khan and Mujeeb Ur Rahman continue to recover from injuries, and they will not feature in the series.
“Rashid Khan and Mujeeb Ur Rahman continue to recover from their respective injuries and are unavailable for selection,” ACB chief selector Ahmad Shah Sulimankhil said in a statement. “However, we have included some of the top-performing youngsters in Nangeyalia Kharote and Bilal Sami. Allah Mohammad Ghazanfar is a very talented cricketer and has demonstrated excellent skills during the U19 World Cup. He will provide cover in Mujeeb Ur Rahman’s in the ODI series against Ireland.”
Fast bowler Bilal Sami, who was among the reserves for Afghanistan’s most recent ODI series against Sri Lanka, has been promoted to the main squad. Sami is also uncapped in international cricket. In all, he has played 10 List A games so far, taking 23 wickets at an average of 21.60 and economy rate of 6.21.
Wristspinner Qais Ahmad, who had struggled for control in Sri Lanka, has been demoted to the reserves. Zia Ur Rahman and Shahidullah Kamal are the other reserve players in the side.
Afghanistan squad: Hashmatullah Shahidi (capt), Rahmat Shah (vice-capt), Rahmanullah Gurbaz (wk), Ikram Alikhil (wk), Ibrahim Zadran, Riaz Hassan, Azmatullah Omarzai, Mohammad Nabi, Gulbadin Naib, Nangeyalia Kharote, Allah Mohammad Ghazanfar, Noor Ahmad, Bilal Sami, Fazal Haq Farooqi, Naveed Zadran and Farid Ahmad Malik
Reserves: Zia Ur Rahman, Shahidullah Kamal, Qais Ahmad.
Sport
Sri Lanka A defeats Afghanistan A by 4 wickets in Abu Dhabi

Afghanistan A was defeated by Sri Lanka A with a margin of four wickets in the ongoing 50-over tri-nation cricket series.
The match was held on Wednesday in Abu Dhabi, the capital of the United Arab Emirates.
Afghanistan had previously lost one match against Ireland and another against Sri Lanka in this series.
Batting first, the Afghan team set a target of 229 runs after losing eight wickets.
In response, Sri Lanka A chased down the target, losing six wickets.
Sport
Afghanistan qualify for U19 Cricket World Cup 2026

Afghanistan’s U19 cricket team has officially qualified for the ICC Men’s U19 Cricket World Cup 2026, following the final day washout in the Asia Qualifiers.
After securing three big wins in their first three games, today’s match against Nepal U19s was washed out. Thanks to their superior Net Run Rate, Afghanistan U19s topped the table and book their berth in the ICC Men’s U19 Cricket World Cup 2026, which will take place early next year in Namibia and Zimbabwe.
Sport
Afghanistan U-19 cricket team defeats UAE

Afghanistan’s national under-19 cricket team defeated the United Arab Emirates by 180 runs on Wednesday, maintaining their unbeaten streak in the group stage at the ICC Men’s U19 CWC Asia Qualifiers.
In this match, Afghanistan scored 359 runs for the loss of only 4 wickets at the end of 50 overs.
This marks Afghanistan’s third consecutive victory in the regional group stage.
Previously, they had defeated Hong Kong and Oman by 8 wickets each.
Afghanistan is set to face the host nation, Nepal, on Saturday (April 19) in what will be their final group-stage match.
The winner of that game is likely to secure a spot in the 2026 ICC Men’s U19 World Cup.
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