Stanikzai returns for Zimbabwe tour
Batsman Asghar Stanikzai and wicketkeeper Shafiqullah have both been named in Afghanistan's ODI squad for the upcoming tour of Zimbabwe
ESPNcricinfo staff
11-Jul-2014
Asghar Stanikzai was Afghanistan's leading scorer in the Asia Cup, hitting 162 runs from four innings • Associated Press
Batsmen Asghar Stanikzai and Gulbadin Naib, who last played an ODI in March 2013, have been named in Afghanistan's ODI squad for the upcoming tour of Zimbabwe.
Mohammad Nabi will captain a 16-man squad that includes three changes from the side which clinched the ACC Premier League title in May. Wicketkeeper Shafiqullah has also fended away competition from Mohammad Shahzad to retain his place in the ODI squad.
Amir Hamza and Afsar Zazai lost their place, while Mohammad Mujtaba and Najeeb Tarakai have been included in the squad for the four-day matches along with several uncapped players such as Qasim Khan, Fazal Niazai, Yamin Ahmedzai, Abdullah Adil and Fareed Ahmed.
Stanikzai, who has played 43 international matches, was Afghanistan's leading run-scorer in the recently-concluded Asia Cup, making 162 from four innings, including an unbeaten 90 in the team's historic win against Bangladesh. Though Shafiqullah did not play in the Asia Cup, he made his mark in the World T20, hitting an unbeaten 51 in the team's only victory of the tournament, against Hong Kong, and ended as their top scorer.
Afghanistan ODI squad: Mohammad Nabi (capt), Aftab Alam, Asghar Stanikzai, Dawlat Zadran, Gulbadin Naib, Hashmatullah Shaidi, Javed Ahmadi, Mirwais Ashraf, Nasir Jamal, Noor Ali Zadran, Rahmat Shah, Samiullah Shenwari, Shafiqullah (wk), Shapoor Zadran, Sharafuddin Ashraf, Usman Ghani
Four-day squad: Mohammad Nabi (capt), Abdullah Adil, Fareed Ahmad, Fazal Niazai, Karim Sadiq, Mirwais Ashraf, Mohammad Mujtaba, Mohibullah Oryakhel, Najeeb Tarakai, Najibullah Zadran, Nasir Jamal, Qasim Khan (wk), Rahmat Shah, Shabir Noori, Sharafuddin Ashraf, Yamin Ahmadzai