Afghanistan’s fast bowler Naveen-ul-Haq has been sidelined from the ongoing Men’s T20 Asia Cup 2025 due to a shoulder injury. The Afghanistan Cricket Board (ACB) medical team has deemed him unfit to continue in the tournament.
Naveen is set to undergo extensive treatment and rehab until he regains full fitness. In his place, Abdullah Ahmadzai, a fast bowler who recently debuted internationally and was part of the reserves, has been promoted to the main squad for Asia Cup 2025, according to an ACB post on X.
Naveen-ul-Haq has represented Afghanistan in 48 T20 Internationals, claiming 67 wickets with an average of 18.73 and an economy rate of 7.79. His best performance in a match is 4/20.
Afghanistan kicked off their Asia Cup journey with an impressive 94-run victory over Hong Kong in their Group B match in Abu Dhabi on Tuesday. Batting stars Sediqullah Atal and Azmatullah Omarzai led the charge with explosive performances in the final overs.
Afghanistan is set to compete against Bangladesh in the ninth match of the Asia Cup 2025 at Dubai International Stadium on September 16. Bangladesh must win to stay in the race for a Super Four spot, while Afghanistan aims to maintain their undefeated streak and solidify their top position in Group B.
Afghanistan squad: Rashid Khan (c), Rahmanullah Gurbaz, Ibrahim Zadran, Darwish Rasooli, Sediqullah Atal, Azmatullah Omarzai, Karim Janat, Mohammad Nabi, Gulbadin Naib, Sharafuddin Ashraf, Mohammad Ishaq, Mujeeb Ur Rahman, Allah Ghazanfar, Noor Ahmad, Farid Malik, Abdullah Ahmadzai, Fazalhaq Farooq.
