Afghanistan appoint Noor-ul-Haq Malekzai as chief selector

Afghanistan Cricket Board has named former middle-order batter Noor-ul-Haq Malikzai as the chief selector of the senior side. Malikzai has been playing the role of the chief selector on a temporary basis for the last three months but was appointed full-time on Monday. 

"Malikzai has had quite an impressive tenure as the acting chief selector and has shown great spirit during the selection of the teams for the U19 Asia Cup & World Cup as well as for our recent squad selections for the Netherlands and Bangladesh series. I would like to congratulate him and wish him all the very best for the future," ACB CEO Naseeb Khan said in a statement. 

Afghanistan are next scheduled to play three ODIs and two T20Is in Bangladesh and the likes of Mohammad Shahzad, Gulbadin Naib, Hamid Hassan,  Naveen-ul-Haq and Hashmatullah Shahidi have all been left out of the squad for the 20-over format. In the ODIs, Afghanistan have dropped Sharafuddin Ashraf and Usman Ghani from their set-up.

"We have a busy 2022 year ahead and as a team, we will be working on to not only address our short-term needs but also achieve our long-term goals. We have enormous talent in the country and it is important that they are provided with proper opportunities," said Malikzai.

Malikzai, who featured in two editions of the Under-19 World Cup (2010 and 2012), played two ODIs for Afghanistan. The right-handed batter also features in 18 first-class, 13 List A and eight T20 encounters. 

Earlier, the ACB had named Stuart Law as their interim head coach for the Bangladesh tour.