England and South Africa have been urged to boycott next month's Champions Trophy matches against Afghanistan, whose maiden appearance in the men's 50-overs tournament as one of the world's top eight teams is a testament to their growth in recent years.
Hashmatullah Shahidi will lead Afghanistan in their maiden ICC Men's Champions Trophy campaign as the Afghanistan Cricket Board (ACB) confirmed the 15-player squad on Sunday.
England and South Africa share the same group with Afghanistan in the One Day International competition and are under pressure to boycott the fixtures in response to the Taliban government’s crackdown on women's rights since returning to power in August 2021.
Khan, who represented Pakistan across 265 ODIs, 118 Test matches, and led them to a historic Men's T20 World Cup triumph in 2009, amassed over 17,000 runs across formats. He still holds the record for most Test hundreds by a Pakistan batter (34).
The 26-year-old missed Afghanistan's most recent Test matches on medical advice to heal a back injury for which he underwent surgery earlier this year.
Both cricketers took to X to urge the Taliban to reconsider their stance and restore Afghan girls' right to education, enabling them to contribute to the nation’s development.
“Playing against Bangladesh has always been challenging and full of joy. I believe the group of players selected for this series will perform exceptionally well and bring more glory to our nation,” said ACB CEO Naseeb Khan.
South Africa avoided their lowest ever score in an ODI but Afghan batters enjoyed a comfortable chase.
Afghanistan's cricket board said on Wednesday it had banned former top-order international batter Ihsanullah Janat for five years after he admitted to "corrupt activities" in a domestic league.
England and South Africa have been urged to boycott next month's Champions Trophy matches against Afghanistan, whose maiden appearance in the men's 50-overs tournament as one of the world's top eight teams is a testament to their growth in recent years.
Hashmatullah Shahidi will lead Afghanistan in their maiden ICC Men's Champions Trophy campaign as the Afghanistan Cricket Board (ACB) confirmed the 15-player squad on Sunday.
England and South Africa share the same group with Afghanistan in the One Day International competition and are under pressure to boycott the fixtures in response to the Taliban government’s crackdown on women's rights since returning to power in August 2021.
Khan, who represented Pakistan across 265 ODIs, 118 Test matches, and led them to a historic Men's T20 World Cup triumph in 2009, amassed over 17,000 runs across formats. He still holds the record for most Test hundreds by a Pakistan batter (34).
The 26-year-old missed Afghanistan's most recent Test matches on medical advice to heal a back injury for which he underwent surgery earlier this year.
Both cricketers took to X to urge the Taliban to reconsider their stance and restore Afghan girls' right to education, enabling them to contribute to the nation’s development.
“Playing against Bangladesh has always been challenging and full of joy. I believe the group of players selected for this series will perform exceptionally well and bring more glory to our nation,” said ACB CEO Naseeb Khan.
South Africa avoided their lowest ever score in an ODI but Afghan batters enjoyed a comfortable chase.
Afghanistan's cricket board said on Wednesday it had banned former top-order international batter Ihsanullah Janat for five years after he admitted to "corrupt activities" in a domestic league.
Rashid Khan showed his frustration during the final over of the first innings with an outburst that has earned him a sanction.
