Veteran allrounder Samiullah Shinwari is in line for his Afghanistan comeback after being named in the 17-member Asia Cup squad.Shinwari's last appearance for Afghanistan was in the T20I format more than two and a half years ago against Ireland in March 2020 just around the COVID-19 outbreak. He returns to the national fold for the tournament to be played in UAE from August 27 to September 11 in T20 format.
In the current squad that's engaged in a bilateral series against Ireland, Shinwari replaces Sharafuddin Ashraf, who is now a part of the reserve players group for the event, along with Qais Ahmad and Nijat Masoud. Additionally, the left-arm wrist-spinner Noor Ahmad, who was replaced by Mujeeb Ur Rahman for the Ireland trip, has also found his way back to the national side. "The Asia Cup is an important event for us and, as such, we have picked our best available players for the event," said chief selector Noor Malikzai. "Samiullah Shinwari is in very good form and can give further impetus to the batting department, which already boasts Ibrahim Zadran, Hashmatullah Shahidi, Najibullah Zadran and Mohammad Nabi. Shinwari has not played any international match since March 2020, but he has done well in the recently held Shpageeza Cricket League 2022 and demonstrated that he is a good option to strengthen our middle order."
