Rahmat Shah will captain Afghanistan for the first time in the five-match ODI series against Ireland starting on August 5. Fazalhaq Farooqui and Yamin Ahmadzai have returned, while Mujeeb Ur Rehman and Mohammad Nabi are not part of the team.
According to ESPNcricinfo, Rahmat Shah will captain Afghanistan for the first time in an ODI series when the team faces Ireland in a five-match series starting on August 5. The return of fast bowlers Fazalhaq Farooqui and Yamin Ahmedzai will strengthen the team’s fast bowling attack.
The 15-member squad has not included Mujeeb Ur Rahman, who is still unavailable due to injury. Afghanistan have also made changes to the team that played in the three-match ODI series against India in June, which they lost 3-0. Farid Malik and Bilal Sami have been sent to the reserves. Veteran all-rounder Mohammad Nabi, who was a part of the India series, has also been left out as he is currently representing the Guyana Amazon Warriors in the Global Super League in Guyana. This tournament will end on August 2.
Return to the team and key players
Ahmadzai last played ODI cricket for Afghanistan in November 2022, while Faruqui’s most recent 50-over match was in February 2025. According to ESPNcricinfo, Faruqui has maintained his match fitness through the ongoing Lanka Premier League, where he has taken five wickets in two matches for Dambulla Sixers.
The series will also mark the return of Hashmatullah Shahidi as a regular player, who stepped down as Afghanistan’s ODI captain after the India series. Shahidi has led the team in 55 ODIs since January 2022. At the same time, Rahmat is taking charge of the ODI team for the first time after serving as the vice-captain of Afghanistan in Test and ODI since 2021. Rahmat, 33, is also Afghanistan’s leading run-scorer in ODIs, with 4,121 runs at an average of 35.22.
The first two ODIs will be played in Brady on 5 and 7 August, while the remaining three matches are scheduled for 10, 12 and 15 August in Belfast.
Afghanistan squad for five-match ODI series against Ireland:
Rahmat Shah (captain), Rahmanullah Gurbaz (vice-captain, wk), Ibrahim Zadran, Sediqullah Atal, Hashmatullah Shahidi, Darwish Rasooli, Azmatullah Omarzai, Ikram Alikhil (wk), Nangyal Kharotai, Rashid Khan, AM Ghazanfar, Yameen Ahmedzai, Salim Safi, Fazalhaq. Farooqui, and Zia ur Rehman Sharifi.
Reserves: Qais Ahmed, Farid Malik, Bilal Sami, Bashir Ahmed. (ANI)
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