The Afghanistan-based pacer Naveed Zadran has been ruled out of the one-off Test against New Zealand after sustaining a side strain injury. The Afghan team is set to take on the Blackcaps in a one-off Test beginning on September 9 in Greater Noida, India. This will be the first time when the two teams will lock horns in the longest format. But then Afghanistan faced a massive blow as they lost the services of young seamer Zadran who has been asked to take a rest for 3-4 weeks.


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The Afghan management is hopeful that he will recuperate before the South Africa ODI series in UAE. As of now, the Afghanistan Cricket Board has not announced any replacement for the 19-year-old bowler. Notably, the Afghan team will enter the ground without their regular skipper Rashid Khan who has been told by the doctors not to play the longer format for at least one year. 



Afghanistan team management has named a 20-member preliminary squad which is currently taking part in a preparation camp ahead of the series and the board will declare e a 15-member squad at the end of it after evaluating players’ fitness and performance.


Afghanistan Preliminary Squad: Hashmatullah Shahidi (captain), Ibrahim Zadran, Riaz Hassan, Abdul Malik, Rahmat Shah, Baheer Shah Mahboob, Ikram Alikhel (wk), Shahidullah Kamal, Gulbadin Naib, Afsar Zazai (wk), Azmatullah Omarzai, Ziaurrahman Akbar, Shamsurrahman, Qais Ahmad, Zahir Khan, Nijat Masoud, Farid Ahmad Malik, Khalil Ahmad and Yama Arab.


New Zealand Squad: Tim Southee (C), Tom Blundell (WK), Michael Bracewell, Devon Conway, Matt Henry, Tom Latham (VC), Daryl Mitchell, Will O'Rourke, Ajaz Patel, Glenn Phillips, Rachin Ravindra, Mitchell Santner, Ben Sears, Kane Williamson, Will Young