Thursday 3 March 2016 17:13, UK
Afghanistan squad for 2016 ICC World Twenty20:
Asghar Stanikzai (captain)
- Made his maiden fifty in the format against Hong Kong at Abu Dhabi in November 2015
- His unbeaten innings of 90 against Bangladesh in March 2014 helped Afghanistan record their first ODI victory over a ICC Full Member
- Ever-present in the qualifying tournament in 2015, scoring 131 runs in six matches
Mohammad Shahzad
- Afghanistan's top scorer in the qualifying tournament last year with 171 runs with a strike rate of 176.28
- His 118 not out against Zimbabwe in January 2016 set a new record for the highest individual score by an Associate nation in T20Is, until Hong Kong's Babar Hayat hit 122 in February
- In 2010 he scored 214* in Afghanistan's successful chase of 494 runs to beat Canada in the ICC Intercontinental Cup
- He is the only Afghanistan batsman to score more than 1000 runs in T20I cricket
Mohammad Nabi
- Scored 117 runs and took seven wickets in the qualifying tournament last year
- He made 102 in Afghanistan's first first-class match in 2010 against Zimbabwe XI
- He was named Player of the Series in Afghanistan's five-match ODI series against Zimbabwe in late 2015
- Spent five years playing for the MCC in England and also has experience with Sylhet Royals in the Bangladesh Premier League
Samiullah Shenwari
- Topped Afghanistan's batting averages in ICC WT20 Qualifier 2015 with 160 runs at an average of 40
- His figures of 5-13 against Kenya at Sharjah in 2013 are the best for Afghanistan in all T20I cricket
- He also returned figures of 4-14 against Canada at Dubai the previous year, the second-best figures for his team
- Scored 254 runs in ICC Cricket World Cup 2015 including a match-winning 96 against Scotland
Dawlat Zadran
- Afghanistan's joint leading wicket-taker in the qualifying tournament with eight wickets in his six matches
- Achieved the highest ranking by an Afghanistan bowler in T20I cricket by reaching eighth place in January 2016
- He has been clocked bowling as quickly as 148 kmh against Canada
Shapoor Zadran
- He became the first Afghanistan bowler to take four wicket on his ODI debut against the Netherlands at Amstelveen in 2009
- Afghanistan's leading wicket taker in ICC WT20 tournaments with eight wickets in his seven matches
- He has experience with Khulna Royal Bengals in the Bangladesh Premier League
Gulbadin Naib
- Scored 44 against England at Colombo in ICC WT20
- Made his maiden half-century in the format with an unbeaten 56 against Zimbabwe at Bulawayo in October 2015
- Player of the Match for his 82 not out as Afghanistan beat Zimbabwe by two wickets at Sharjah in January 2016
Najibullah Zadran
- Scored 133 runs at a strike rate of 172.72 in the qualifying competition last year
- That included a crucial innings of 33 from just 11 deliveries against the Netherlands
- Player of the Match for his innings of 83 off just 50 balls as Afghanistan beat Ireland by 71 runs at Dubai in January 2015
Hamid Hassan
- In 2015 he became the first Afghanistan bowler to take 50 ODI wickets
- Scored 22 and took 3-21 in ICC WT20 2010 against South Africa at Bridgetown
- Took the remarkable figures of 3-4 in three overs in a T20I match with Kenya at Sharjah in September 2013
Rashid Khan
- The youngest player to represent Afghanistan in T20I cricket when he was just 17 years 36 days against Zimbabwe on his debut
- First represented Afghanistan Under 19 team on tour to Pakistan in October 2014
- Joint-leading wicket-taker for Afghanistan in ICC U-19 World Cup 2016 in Bangladesh
Shafiqullah Shafaq
- Had a slow start to his T20I career, averaging just 6.88 with the bat in his first nine matches
- Ever-present in ICC WT20 Qualifier 2015 scoring 34 runs at a strike rate of 261.53
- Struck an unbeaten 51 from just 24 balls against Hong Kong in ICC WT20 2014
Usman Ghani
- Scored 65 in just his second T20 match, against Zimbabwe
- Hit 69 against Oman in the first T20I of the series at Abu Dhabi last November
- Compiled innings of 70 and 55 in his first two ODI matches against Hong Kong and the UAE in May 2014
- Struck 118 against Zimbabwe at Bulawayo in the second ODI that July
Hamza Hotak
- Took 2-32 against Hong Kong at Chittagong in his only appearance in ICC WT20 2014
- Represented Afghanistan in ICC U/19 World Cup 2010 in New Zealand
- Player of the Match for his figures of 4-17 in the first ODI against Zimbabwe at Sharjah in December 2015
Noor Ali Zadran
- He became just the fourth player to score two centuries on his first-class debut against a Zimbabwe XI in August 2009
- Scored Afghanistan's first ICC WT20 half-century with an innings of 50 against India at St Lucia in 2010
- Made his maiden ODI century in 2010 with an innings of 114 against Canada at Sharjah
Karim Sadiq
- He was a key member of Afghanistan's 2010 ACC Trophy Elite winning squad, which defeated Nepal in the final by 95 runs
- Has two ODI centuries to his name - against Scotland in 2010 and the Netherlands in 2012
- His off-spin can be useful in the shortest format, taking 2-20 against Hong Kong at Abu Dhabi in November 2015
Sky Sports is the only place you can watch all 35 games in 27 days of the 2016 ICC World T20, starting with Zimbabwe v UAE on Tuesday 8th March at 9am on Sky Sports 2 HD. Or watch from £6.99 without a contract, on NOW TV.
