The Kabul Tribune (KT) — Afghanistan’s Under-19 cricket team won the toss and elected to bat first against the West Indies U19s in their second match of the ICC Men’s U19 Cricket World Cup 2026, being co-hosted by Zimbabwe and Namibia.
The match comes as a setback-hit Afghan side adjusts its
squad following an injury. Hafeez Zadran, a right-arm leg-spinner, has been
ruled out of the remainder of the tournament after sustaining a fracture to his
left wrist during Afghanistan’s opening match against South Africa. Tournament
officials confirmed that Aqil Khan Obaid, also a right-arm leg-spinner from the
reserve pool, has been approved by the Event Technical Committee as his
replacement.
Afghanistan named a balanced playing XI for the encounter,
combining depth in batting with a varied bowling attack as they look to secure
a crucial victory in the group stage.
Afghanistan U19 Playing XI vs West Indies U19:
Mahboob Khan (Captain, Wicketkeeper), Faisal Khan, Osman Khan, Khalid Ahmadzai,
Uzir Khan, Aziz Makhil, Abdul Aziz Khan (All-Rounder), Wahid Zadran (Spin
Bowler), Rohullah Arab (Spin Bowler), Khatir Stankzai (Fast Bowler), Nasrat
Nooristani (Fast Bowler).
The ICC Men’s U19 Cricket World Cup 2026 is viewed as a key
platform for emerging talent, with Afghanistan’s “Future Stars” aiming to build
momentum after a challenging start to the tournament.
