Qais Ahmad

English cricket club Gloucestershire have become the first county to cancel all their overseas signings with Qais Ahmad and Andrew Tye's deals terminated on Monday.

Qais Ahmad and Salman Irshad bowled Morrisville Samp Army to a six-wicket win over Bangla Tigers in the 20th match of the Abu Dhabi T10 at the Zayed Cricket Stadium. While Ahmad bagged three wickets for 14 runs, Irshad took three wickets for 12 runs. They were backed by Karim Janat with two wickets for four runs. Bangla Tigers who were asked to bat first, got all out for 82 in 10 overs.

Afghanistan on Monday dropped four players from their Twenty20 World Cup squad, also shuffling the one-day combination for their tour of Bangladesh starting next month.

Batter Darwish Rasooli and pacer Salim Safi were on Thursday picked in Afghanistan's 15-man squad for the T20 World Cup in Australia.

The 25-year-old Rashid Khan holds the distinction of being Afghanistan's leading Test wicket-taker, having secured 34 wickets in five matches. His pivotal role in all formats of the game makes his absence a notable setback for the team. The selectors emphasised that Rashid's rehabilitation is being approached with caution, underlining the importance of monitoring his recovery process.

Afghanistan head coach Jonathan Trott expressed concern over the absence of star spinner Rashid Khan during their first-ever white-ball tour of India. Captain Ibrahim Zadran stated that Rashid was not fit to play, limiting his participation. Trott believes that Rashid's absence presents an opportunity for other players to take responsibility and make a name for themselves. It will be interesting to see who will handle the pressure just months after the World Cup.

Sri Lanka is aiming for a turnaround in their Test cricket fortunes as they prepare for a one-off match against Afghanistan in Colombo. Dhananjaya de Silva, the newly appointed captain, leads the team as they aim to improve their standing in the World Test Championship rankings. Sri Lanka, currently at the bottom of the rankings, faced a setback in their last Test at the same venue in October.

Dubai Capitals clinched a spot in the ILT20 Season 3 final with a thrilling last-ball win over Desert Vipers. Gulbadin Naib's impressive half-century and two wickets were pivotal, capping a successful run chase. Alex Hales' explosive 67 was in vain as the Capitals maintained their dominance with a fifth consecutive victory against the Vipers.

Newly-appointed Afghanistan captain Ibrahim Zadran on Wednesday confirmed that his team’s star spinner Rashid Khan will sit out of the three-match T20I series. Rashid has travelled to India with the team but is still in “recovery mode” after a lower-back surgery he underwent just after the ODI World Cup. Besides Rashid, Afghanistan have four other frontline spinners in the squad — mystery spinner Mujeeb Ur Rahman, chinaman bowler Noor Ahmad, leg-spinner Qais Ahmad, left-arm orthodox Sharafuddin Ashraf and veteran off-spinner Mohammad Nabi.

Afghanistan sealed a series whitewash of the Netherlands on Tuesday in the third one-day international in Doha, boosting their 2023 World Cup qualifying bid.

A 23-ball 66 from Azmatullah Omarzai was backed up by some precise bowling by spinners Mujeeb Zadran and Qais Ahmad as Afghanistan recorded a thumping 202-run victory over New Zealand to reach the semi-final of the ICC U-19 World Cup on Thursday.

Desert Vipers booked a five-wicket win over Sharjah Warriorz to become the first team to win eight group matches in the World ILT20. Naseem Shah’s three wickets restricted Sharjah to 140/7 before Max Holden’s unbeaten 66 guided the chase. The defeat officially ended the Warriorz’ playoff hopes.

The world team has the top three of the Indian batting line-up -- captain Prithvi Shaw, player of the final Manjot Kalra and player of the tournament Shubman Gill. Left-arm spinner Anukul Roy and fast bowler Kamlesh Nagarkoti are the other Indians named in the world team.

Afghanistan Cricket Board (ACB) selection committee has announced the 18-member squad for the upcoming ODI series against the Netherlands which gets underway from January 21.

Top Afghan players, including the likes of Rashid Khan and Mohammad Nabi, resumed training on Sunday at the Kabul Cricket Stadium here, the Afghanistan Cricket Board (ACB) informed.

Afghanistan's final 16-member squad for the one-off Test against New Zealand on September 9 in Greater Noida includes uncapped players Riaz Hassan, Shamsurrahman, and Khalil Ahmed. Rashid Khan is absent due to injury; Zahir Khan and Zia-ur-Rehman will lead the spin attack. The selection followed a 10-day preparation camp involving 19 players.

The Prayagraj police on Saturday filed its second chargesheet in the killing of lawyer Umesh Pal and two of his police gunners.

Riding on an unbeaten 107 from Ikram Ali, Afghanistan registered a stunning 185-run victory over Pakistan to clinch the Under-19 Asia Cup for the first time at the Kinrara Academy Oval in Kuala Lumpur on Sunday.

In the ILT20 match at Sharjah Cricket Stadium, Dubai Capitals defeated Desert Vipers by nine wickets, thanks to Gulbadin Naib's unbeaten 55 and Qais Ahmad's brilliant four for 25. This win secured the Capitals' second place in the standings, setting up a Qualifier 1 clash with the Vipers. Naib's aggressive batting ensured a commanding chase to victory.

Ace spinner Rashid Khan was Monday named in a strong Afghanistan squad for the five-match Twenty20 international series in Ireland starting next week. The 23-year-old is a key for Afghanistan in Ireland as well as in the Asia Cup (August-September) in United Arab Emirates and Twenty20 World Cup (October-November) in Australia.

New Zealand will play against Afghanistan in a one-off Test starting Monday in Greater Noida. This match is crucial for New Zealand's preparation for the World Test Championship challenges ahead. Afghanistan, although inexperienced in red-ball cricket and missing key players like Rashid Khan, hopes to leverage their familiarity with the venue.

New Zealand faces Afghanistan in their inaugural Test match, marking the start of six consecutive Tests in the subcontinent. With a focus on spin and adapting to conditions, New Zealand aims for a strong start despite rain forecasts. Afghanistan hopes to leverage familiarity with the Greater Noida venue amid key player absences.

All-rounder Samiullah Shinwari was on Tuesday recalled after a two-year absence from Afghanistan's cricket team, as the country announced its 17-man squad for the Asia Cup kicking off in the United Arab Emirates later this month.

India A, led by Tilak Varma, will face Afghanistan A in the ACC Emerging Teams Asia Cup semifinal at Al Amerat Cricket Ground, Oman. Having won all their group stage matches, India A aims to continue their winning streak. The live stream will be available on Disney+ Hotstar.

Afghanistan Cricket Board (ACB) on Tuesday announced the squads for the upcoming Test against Bangladesh and T20I triangular series. Spinner Rashid Khan will lead the team in both the formats. Selectors named 15-member squad for Bangladesh Test and 17-member squad for Afghanistan-Bangladesh-Zimbabwe T20I triangular series.

Afghanistan's star all-rounder Rashid Khan will miss the upcoming Test match against New Zealand, scheduled between September 9 to 13, due to a back injury sustained in July. This match in Greater Noida marks Afghanistan’s 10th Test. Rashid's last Test outing was in March 2021. Afghanistan Cricket Board has not explained his absence officially.

Afghanistan beat Ireland in their first of three Twenty20s on Friday as Najibullah Zadran smashed an unbeaten 42 in a rain-affected fixture in India.

The Greater Noida Sports Complex Ground will host a historic one-off test match between Afghanistan and New Zealand. Led by captains Hashmatullah Shahidi and Tim Southee, the event is expected to draw over 10,000 cricket fans. Supported by Play Sports, this match marks a significant moment for the city.

Premier leg-spinner Rashid Khan was on Saturday picked in a 19-member Afghanistan squad, to be led by young Ibrahim Zadran, for the three T20 Internationals against India starting on January 11 in Mohali.