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A major blow has struck the Afghanistan cricket team as their star spinner, Mujeeb Ur Rahman, has been ruled out of the ongoing ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2024 due to injury. This comes just as Afghanistan reached the crucial Super 8 stage of the tournament.
Impact of Mujeeb Ur Rahman’s departure
Mujeeb has been a vital cog in the Afghan bowling attack for several years. Renowned for his exceptional control and ability to turn the ball prodigiously, he boasts an impressive economy rate of 6.35 in T20 Internationals, along with 59 wickets in just 46 appearances.
While his participation in the tournament has been limited due to the injury, his absence will be deeply felt. In his only outing during the group stage, Mujeeb displayed his talent with a commendable spell of 1/16 in three overs against Uganda. His absence creates a significant hole in the Afghan bowling attack, particularly with the team needing to tighten their grip in the Super 8s against tougher opponents.
Replacement announced
Opening batter Hazratullah Zazai has been selected to replace Mujeeb in the Afghanistan squad. The ICC’s event technical committee approved this change on Friday, following Afghanistan’s win over Papua New Guinea. While Zazai is a batter and not a direct substitute for the bowler Mujeeb, he will enhance the team’s batting lineup. Zazai has not participated in a T20I since February but was present in the last two T20 World Cups.
Also READ: T20 World Cup 2024 – Rashid Khan names the ‘superstar’ in the Afghanistan team
Noor Ahmad steps up
In Mujeeb’s absence, Noor Ahmad is expected to play a crucial role. He participated in Afghanistan’s last two games, delivering one wicketless over against New Zealand and taking 1 for 14 in his four overs against Papua New Guinea.
Having advanced to the Super 8 stage, Afghanistan are set to face the West Indies in their final Group C match on June 17. The Super 8 stage will see Afghanistan begin their campaign against India on June 20.
Afghanistan Squad (Updated): Rashid Khan (c), Rahmanullah Gurbaz, Ibrahim Zadran, Azmatullah Omarzai, Najibullah Zadran, Mohammad Ishaq, Mohammad Nabi, Gulbadin Naib, Karim Janat, Nangyal Kharoti, Noor Ahmad, Naveen-ul-Haq, Fazalhaq Farooqi, Fareed Ahmad Malik, Hazratullah Zazai.
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