KABUL: The Afghanistan squad for the Under-19 50-over World Cup, which starts on January 15 in Zimbabwe and Namibia, has been announced.
Mahbub Khan, who turned 19 on New Year’s Day, will lead the team. He brings significant leadership experience having captained Afghanistan in the 2024 and 2025 U19 Asia Cup tournaments.
The team has a strong spin line-up.
Wahidullah Chadran is a notable name in bowling. The 18-year-old offspinner has already made his mark at the senior level, featuring for the Gulf giants in last year’s ILT20 tournament.
He entered the IPL auction in December, making him one of the youngest players to do so, even if he went unsold. Wahidullah will be supported by left-arm spinner Zaidullah Shaheen and leg-spinner Hafeez Sadran.
The batting department features promising talents like Khalid Ahmadzai, a first-class century-scorer, and Usairullah Niazhai. Fast bowler Nuristani Omarzai is another key player to watch in this match.
Afghanistan won last year’s Asian qualifiers to qualify for the U19 World Cup, going unbeaten throughout the campaign. They have been drawn in Group D along with South Africa, Tanzania and West Indies.
Afghanistan Team:
Mahbub Khan (c), Khalid Ahmadzai, Osman Sadat, Faisal Khan, Usairullah Niazhai, Aziz Mia Gill, Najib Amiri, Qadir Stanikzai, Nuristani Umarzai, Abdul Aziz, Salam Khan, Wahidullah Zadran, Zaidullah Zarab, Rohullah Zarab and Rohullah Shaheen.
Reserves: Akil Khan, Fahim Qasimi and Izad Noor.
Group Stage U19 World Cup Matches: