Since Afghanistan was placed under the Taliban's authority in August 2021, questions and doubts have been raised regarding the Afghanistan national cricket team players' participation in upcoming international matches. Concerns were expressed over the security of Afghan national cricket team members and their families who remained in Afghanistan on August 15, 2021, when the Taliban seized power. [19] Three members of the Afghanistan women's national cricket team have left for Canada as of August 31, 2021, while the remaining members feared for their safety due to the Taliban's treatment of women.
Taliban representatives said that the group would not interfere with the men's cricket team's participation in international games and that it would be okay for Afghanistan to face Pakistan in a bilateral series set to begin in Sri Lanka in September 2021.
Hikmat Hassan, the media manager for the Afghanistan cricket team players, said the country would compete in the ICC Men's T20 World Cup despite the political unrest.
The Afghanistan squad for T20 World cup 2022 has a 15-member team which includes: Mohammad Nabi (C), Najibullah Zadran (VC), Rahmanullah Gurbaz (WK), Azmatullah Omarzai, Darwish Rasooli, Farid Ahmad Malik, Fazal Haq Farooqi, Hazratullah Zazai, Ibrahim Zadran, Mujeeb ur Rahman, Naveen ul Haq, Qais Ahmad, Rashid Khan, Salim Safi, Usman Ghani.
| SNo. | Name | Age | Role | DOB |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Mohammad Nabi (C) | 37 | All Rounder | 1 January 1985 |
| 2 | Najibullah Zadran (VC) | 29 | Batsman | 28 February 1993 |
| 3 | Fareed Ahmad | 28 | Bowler | 10 August 1994 |
| 4 | Qais Ahmad | 22 | Bowler | 15 August 2000 |
| 5 | Fazalhaq Farooqi | 21 | Bowler | 22 September 2000 |
| 6 | Usman Ghani | 25 | Batsman | 20 November 1996 |
| 7 | Rahmanullah Gurbaz (WK) | 20 | Wicketkeeper | 28 November 2001 |
| 8 | Rashid Khan | 23 | Bowler | 20 September 1998 |
| 9 | Azmatullah Omarzai | 22 | All Rounder | 24 March 2000 |
| 10 | Darwish Rasooli | 22 | All Rounder | 12 December 1999 |
| 11 | Mohammad Saleem | 20 | Bowler | 9 September 2002 |
| 12 | Naveen-ul-Haq | 22 | Bowler | 23 September 1999 |
| 13 | Mujeeb Ur Rahman | 21 | Bowler | 28 March 2001 |
| 14 | Ibrahim Zadran | 20 | Batsman | 12 December 2001 |
| 15 | Hazratullah Zazai | 24 | Batsman | 23 March 1998 |
Mohammad Nabi (C)
Nabi guided Afghanistan to victory against Bangladesh in the 2014 Asia Cup, their first win over a Test playing nation. Despite the fact that it was their lone victory in the tournament, the country captured many hearts worldwide with a gutsy performance. He was also named to captain the team at the 2015 World Cup. Since then, the Afghanistan juggernaut, with Nabi as one of its wheels, has gathered momentum, with the ICC awarding them Test status.
Najibullah Zadran
Despite his small stature, Najibullah Zadran delivers a punch with his bellicose left-handed hitting. He took the same tried-and-true path to the national team as many of his generation's successors to the original Afghan cricket pioneers, with age-group cricket preparing him for the big stage. His ODI debut against Ireland in Dublin in 2012 may have been a bit too soon, but Zadran's hitting turned a round in 2014, and he began to appear more at ease.
In July 2015, his 99 runs in second-inning helped Afghanistan overcome a tough Zimbabwe A team in an unofficial Test. In November, his unbeaten 32-ball 60 helped Afghanistan win a Twenty match by 54 runs against Pakistan A. He kicked out 2015 with a maiden ODI fifty, a boundary-laden 83 against Ireland, and was quickly named to Afghanistan's World Cup side.
Rashid Khan
The name suffices. Rashid Khan may not be the next James Bond. On the other hand, his rapid arm-bowling movement instills dread in certain hitters' minds. Rashid is a lethal googly with a ripping leggie who can turn it even on a glass surface.
Rashid can bat at any position in the order. And, as an outfielder, expect some magical moments that could make it into the World Cup's final highlights reel. Rashid Khan, an impact player, is a multi-dimensional player. His pairing with Mujeeb might become one of the World Cup's talking topics.
Ibrahim Zadran
Ibrahim Zadran's effort in the second innings, one of the youngest to get a Test match fifty in his maiden game, was crucial for Afghanistan, who secured their second-ever Test match win by hammering Bangladesh at the latter's den. Ibrahim, a compact opening batsman with plenty of grit, guts, and spunk, has consistently performed his limited domestic career in Afghanistan.
With First-class and List-A averages in the 40s, and Afghanistan having opening difficulties (particularly following Shahzad's contentious withdrawal), Ibrahim's moment had to come, and the manner he's begun bodes well for a side that is still in its early days in Test cricket. Of course, he is far from a finished product and is pretty raw, but his temperament is a characteristic that should serve him well in the future. Based on his potential, Ibrahim appeared to be here to stay, at least in the game's most extended format.
