Afghanistan Cricket Board Confirms Rahmat Shah as New Test and ODI Captain

The Afghanistan Cricket Board (ACB) has officially appointed Rahmat Shah as the new captain of the national Test and One-Day International (ODI) teams, marking a new chapter for Afghanistan cricket.

The board also announced that wicketkeeper-batter Rahmanullah Gurbaz would be the vice-captain (both formats).

Hashmatullah Shahidi stepped down from his role as captain following 55 ODI appearances for Afghanistan and has been replaced by Rahmat Shah. Shah has been the vice-captain of the team since 2021 and is one of the most experienced batters of the Afghan cricket team.

His first game as the new skipper will be the series against Ireland next week, both Test and ODI, and he will lead the team for the first time.

Rahmat Shah first made his debut for Afghanistan on the international stage in 2013 and has since established himself as an integral part of the national squad. He has been a consistent performer in both formats and has represented the nation in 128 One-Day Internationals (ODIs) and 12 Test matches.

Afghanistan Cricket Board showed their confidence in Rahmat Shah’s leadership abilities and experience and they expect him to lead the national team well in the coming years. His appointment follows as Afghanistan is also looking to improve its cricket presence in the international arena with consistent performance in bilateral series and major ICC tournaments.