Afghanistan pacer Naveen-ul-Haq has been ruled out of the ongoing Men’s T20 Asia Cup 2025 after failing to recover from a shoulder injury. This has been confirmed by the Afghanistan Cricket Board (ACB) medical staff, stating that he is unfit to feature in the remainder of the tournament. To replace his pace, fast bowler Abdullah Ahmadzai, who was part of the reserves and recently made his international debut, has been drafted into the main squad. Although Naveen was named in Afghanistan’s Asia Cup lineup, he did not feature in their opening match due to fitness concerns. The ACB on its X account has now clarified that the experienced seamer is still rehabilitating from a shoulder issue and has not been cleared to play in the upcoming fixtures.
“Naveen will continue to undergo intensive treatment and rehabilitation until he is fully fit," ACB stated on its X account. Naveen-ul-Haq has featured in 48 T20Is for Afghanistan, claiming 67 wickets at an average of 18.73 and an economy rate of 7.79, with a career-best of 4/20. His absence leaves a major void in the team’s bowling attack.
Afghanistan eye dominance in Asia Cup 2025
Afghanistan had a great opening match in the Asia Cup with a dominant 94-run victory over Hong Kong in their Group B encounter at Abu Dhabi. Sediqullah Atal and Azmatullah Omarzai starred with the bat, both registering half-centuries and accelerating the innings in the closing overs. Afghanistan is set to take on Bangladesh in match nine at the Dubai International Stadium on September 16. For Bangladesh, it is a must-win fixture to keep their Super Four hopes alive, while Afghanistan will look to extend their unbeaten run and tighten their grip on the top spot in Group B.
Afghanistan squad for Asia Cup 2025: 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 Farooqi
