Afghanistan include uncapped Atal for Bangladesh ODIs

Afghanistan selectors named prolific opener Sediqullah Atal in their 19-man squad for next month’s three-match one-day international series against Bangladesh in Sharjah.

Atal, 23, has previously played six Twenty20 internationals for Afghanistan and earned his maiden call for the ODIs after scoring consistently in Oman’s ongoing Emerging Asia Cup.

Besides Atal, left-arm spinner Noor Ahmad also staged a comeback after missing Afghanistan’s 2-1 series win over South Africa in Sharjah last month.

Afghanistan Cricket Board chief selector Ahmad Shah Sulimankhil described Atal as a future player.

“We have included a promising top-order batter in Sediqullah Atal, who has impressed everyone with his consistent top performances,” says Sulimankhil in an Afghanistan Cricket Board release.

Atal scored 52, 95 not out, and 83 in the Emerging Asia Cup.

Opener Naveed Zadran is recovering from ankle surgery while a sprain to his right-hand sidelines spinner Mujeeb Ur Rahman.

The three matches are scheduled for Nov. 6, 9 and 11.

The series will help Afghanistan prepare for the eight-nation Champions Trophy in Pakistan from February to March next year.

Afghanistan are on a high in limited-overs cricket, having beaten top nations, including England, Pakistan and Sri Lanka, in last year’s ODI World Cup held in India.

They also qualified for the semi-finals of the Twenty20 World Cup jointly held in the US and the West Indies in June.

Squad: Hashmatullah Shahidi (capt), Rahmat Shah, Rahmanullah Gurbaz, Ikram Alikhil, Abdul Malik, Riaz Hassan, Sediqullah Atal, Darwish Rasooli, Azmatullah Omarzai, Mohammad Nabi, Gulbadin Naib, Rashid Khan, Nangyal Kharoti, AM Ghazanfar, Noor Ahmad, Fazalhaq Farooqi, Bilal Sami, Naveed Zadran, Farid Ahmad Malik