Rashid Khan sidelined with back injury for one-off Test against New Zealand

Rashid Khan has been excluded from Afghanistan's initial 20-member squad to play against New Zealand in a one-off Test in Noida starting September 9 due to a back injury. The all-rounder sustained the injury while representing Speen Ghar Tigers (SGT) in the Shpageeza Cricket League (SCL), Afghanistan's domestic T20 competition, last month, as confirmed by the team management.

All three of Rashid's matches at the SCL came on successive days from August 18, even as he bagged six wickets at an average of 9.33 and an economy rate of 5.09. In his third game, Rashid also smashed 53 off just 26 balls out of his side's total of 112 in a truncated match against Amo Sharks.

It was during that game that he experienced pain in his back, and was thus forced to miss SGT's next match two days later.

Rashid had also gone through a back injury and subsequent surgery just after the World Cup in India in October-November last year. That had ruled him out of all cricket for four months, before he returned to action in a T20I series against Ireland this March. And a week before his recent back trouble, Rashid suffered a hamstring strain while representing Trent Rockets at the Hundred, and thus missed Rockets' last two games.

Afghanistan have begun training in Noida, their adopted home ground, for the Test against New Zealand, which will be the first time that the two teams will be facing each other in the format. This will also be the first Test to be played at the Greater Noida Sports Complex Ground.

Immediately after the Test against New Zealand ends on September 13, Afghanistan fly to Sharjah to play a three-match ODI series against South Africa from September 18.