Spinner Ghazanfar has been added to the test squad for the upcoming Afghanistan tour of Zimbabwe 2024.
The developments come after reports emerged of Rashid Khan being unavailable for the Boxing Day game due to personal reasons.
AM Ghazanfar has been added to Afghanistan’s squad for the two-match test series against Zimbabwe, with the first one being scheduled to begin tomorrow in Bulawayo,” said the Afghanistan Cricket Board (ACB) twitter post.
🚨 SQUAD UPDATE! 🚨
AM Ghazanfar has been added to Afghanistan’s squad for the two-match test series against Zimbabwe, with the first one being scheduled to begin tomorrow in Bulawayo. 👍#AfghanAtalan | #ZIMvAFG | #GloriousNationVictoriousTeam pic.twitter.com/fR5KRHqeSS
— Afghanistan Cricket Board (@ACBofficials) December 25, 2024
Ghazanfar’s maiden call-up to the test team comes after his impressive figures of 5/33 in third ODI at Harare, which helped Afghanistan secured an eight-wicket win and take a 2-0 series win.
Ghazanfar is yet to play a first class game in his cricketing career. He was roped in by Mumbai Indians INR 4.8 crore during the IPL 2025 auction.
Spinner who started 2024 season playing for Afghanistan in U19 World Cup category in South Africa, where he bagged eight wickets in four wickets at an economy rates of 3.35 and was followed by his senior ODI debut against Ireland.
He then guided Afghanistan A to win their maiden Men’s T20 Emerging Teams Asia Cup title in 2024, winning the player of match award against Sri Lanka A in Oman.
The series opener against Afghanistan will begin on December 26 at Queen’s Sports Club. The second match will be scheduled for January 02-06, 2025.
Afghanistan Squad for the Zimbabwe tests: Hashmatullah Shahidi (C), Rahmat Shah, Ikram Alikhail, Afsar Zazai, Riaz Hassan, Sediqullah Atal, Abdul Malik, Baheer Shah Mahboob, Ismat Alam, Azmatullah Omarzai, Zahir Khan, Zia Ur Rehman Akbar, Zahir Shehzad, Yamin Ahmadzai, Bashir Ahmad Afghan, Naveed Zadran, Fareed Ahmad Malik and AM Ghazanfar.
