HAMBANTOTA – Afghanistan Cricket Board on Tuesday ruled out middle-order batsman Najibullah Zardan due to his knee injury shortly before the start of the first ODI match against Pakistan.
Zardan will be replaced by Shahidullah Kamal, the board said in a statement shared on the social media platform X, formerly Twitter.
“Afghanistan’s middle-order batter @iamnajibzadran has been ruled out of the #SuperColaCup #AFGvPAK 3-match ODI series after sustaining a knee injury and has been replaced by @25shahidkamal,” read the post.
🚨Squad Alert 🚨
Afghanistan's middle-order batter @iamnajibzadran has been ruled out of the #SuperColaCup #AFGvPAK 3-match ODI series after sustaining a knee injury and has been replaced by @25shahidkamal.
Get well Soon Najib! 🤲#AfghanAtalan | #ByaMaidanGato pic.twitter.com/OSCvYZ5t9w
— Afghanistan Cricket Board (@ACBofficials) August 22, 2023
The first game of the three-match ODI series between Pakistan and Afghanistan will be played at at Mahinda Rajapaksa International Cricket in Hambantota, Sri Lanka.
Pakistan enter the series at the back of some brilliant results – they swept Sri Lanka in the two-Test series just last month and defeated New Zealand 4-1 at home in One-Day Internationals in April-May.
PAK vs AFG, first ODI: Pakistan opt to bat first against Afghanistan
