Greater Noida, Sep 07 (V7N) — Afghanistan has announced their 16-man squad for the upcoming one-off Test match against New Zealand, which will take place at the Greater Noida Sports Complex in India, starting on Monday. The team includes three players who are set to make their Test debut: Riaz Hasan, Shams ur Rahman, and Khalil Ahmed.

Naveed Jadran, who was initially expected to be part of the squad, has been ruled out due to injury. Meanwhile, Gulbadin Naib, Farid Ahmed, and Yama Arab have been omitted from the initial 20-man roster.

In a notable absence, star spinner Rashid Khan will miss the Test due to an ongoing injury, leaving a gap in Afghanistan's bowling attack. Hashmatullah Shahidi will captain the side in what will be Afghanistan’s first-ever Test match against New Zealand.

Afghanistan Squad:

Hashmatullah Shahidi (captain), Abdul Malik, Afsar Zazai, Azmatullah Omarzai, Bahir Shah, Ibrahim Zadran, Ikram Alikhil, Khalil Ahmed, Nijat Masood, Qays Ahmad, Rahmat Shah, Riaz Hasan, Shahidullah, Shams ur Rahman, Zaheer Khan, Zia-Ur-Rahman.

This Test match marks a significant milestone for Afghanistan as they prepare to face the Kiwis for the first time in the longest format of the game. Fans will be eagerly watching to see how the team performs in the absence of key players like Rashid