Afghanistan seamer Naveen Ul Haq has been ruled out of Asia Cup 2025. Quick Abdullah Ahmadzai, who was previously on standby and recently made his international debut, has been promoted to the main squad for the subcontinental tournament. Overall in T20s, Abdullah has 15 wickets from 11 games.
Naveen had been named in Afghanistan’s Asia Cup squad but wasn’t able to make it to the XI for their tournament opener versus Hong Kong on fitness grounds. The board has now revealed that the experienced campaigner is still recovering from a shoulder injury and has not been declared fit by the ACB medical team to participate in the remaining matches.
Naveen will return home to continue to undergo intensive treatment and rehabilitation. “The ACB wishes Naveen Ul Haq a speedy recovery and extends its best wishes to Abdullah Ahmadzai for the matches ahead,” the board said in a statement on Monday, September 15.
The veteran pacer last represented Afghanistan in December 2024, against Zimbabwe in a T20I in Harare. He was part of the SA20 earlier this year, returning five wickets in eight games for Durban’s Super Giants. He also partook in the MLC in June where he picked up eight wickets in five games for tournament champions MI New York.
Fazalhaq Farooqi and Fareed Ahmad are the other specialist speedsters in the squad, with Azmatullah Omarzai, Gulbadin Naib and Karim Janat the fast-bowling allrounders.
Having swatted away Hong Kong by 94 runs, Afghanistan will play their next group match against Bangladesh on September 16, and then they lock horns with Sri Lanka on September 18.
