The Afghanistan Cricket Board (ACB) released on Wednesday ruling right-arm spinner AM Ghazanfar out of the much awaited ICC Men’s Champions Trophy 2025. Ghazanfar, who has taken 21 wickets from 11 ODIs thus far, will miss the eight-team competition owing to a “fracture in the L4 vertebra”, he suffered on Afghanistan’s tour to Zimbabwe last year.
Originally named in the reserves pool, left-arm spinner Nangyal Kharoti has replaced the eighteen-year-old.
“A fracture in the L4 vertebra—more especially, the left pars interarticularis—has ruled out Afghanistan’s young spin-bowling sensation, AM Ghazanfar, from the ICC Champions Trophy,” said ACB in a statement.
“He will be sidelined for at least four months and stay under treatment throughout this period after sustaining the damage during Afghanistan’s most recent visit of Zimbabwe.
“Nangyal Kharoti, who belonged to the reserves pool, has been advanced to the Champions Trophy main squad.”
While his last ODI participation comes from ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup 2023, the ACB also gave an update regarding senior spinner Mujeeb Ur Rahman, who last represented Afghanistan in their recent away T20I series against Zimbabwe.
“Mujeeb Ur Rahman misses the ODI action till he has totally recovered.”
Afghanistan, who will be making their Champions Trophy debut, will open their campaign against South Africa on February 21 in Karachi, before facing England and Australia in Lahore, respectively, for the uninitiated.
