Rashid Khan Set To Make Test Comeback After Nearly Four Years

Rashid Khan has been picked for Afghanistan’s Test side for the Zimbabwe series, nearly four years after he last played a game in the format.

Afghanistan’s lead spinner Rashid will play his first Test since March 2021 after he was named for the two-Test series, beginning on December 26 at Bulawayo. Earlier this year, Rashid had taken a break from the format due to an ongoing groin issue, with his absence likely to extend for at least a year.

Four months later, Rashid is back, having been selected in the 18-member squad for the tour.

Rashid has played five Tests in his career, picking up 34 wickets at an average of 22.35. In nine innings, he has scalped a five-wicket haul four times, with best figures of 7-137. He has gone wicketless just once.

Outgoing ICC chair Greg Barclay has questioned Australia’s stance of not playing against Afghanistan in a bilateral series.

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Afghanistan have picked as many as seven uncapped players in their squad, including Azmatullah Omarzai, Fareed Ahmad, Riaz Hassan and Sediqullah Atal. They are joined by all-rounder Ismat Alam, Zahir Shehzad and fast bowler Bashir Ahmad Afghan. Afghanistan have also picked three travelling reserves – Ibrahim Abdulrahimzai, Zia ur Rahman Sharifi and Nasir Jamal.

Afghanistan will be led by Hashmatullah Shahidi, with Rahmat Shah as the vice-captain. The visitors will be without the services of head coach Jonathan Trott for the Test series due to personal reasons.

The second Test will be played from January 2 at the same venue as well.

Overall, Afghanistan have played nine Tests since they were granted Full-Member status in 2018. They have won just two games, with the latest victory coming back in 2019, against Bangladesh. They have also drawn one Test, against Zimbabwe in 2021.

This will also be the second time that Afghanistan will play a Test series consisting of more than one game.

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