AM Ghazanfar Ruled Out Of CT & IPL Due To Injury

The Afghanistan Cricket Team has been dealt with a huge blow as their mystery spinner AM Ghazanfar has been ruled out of the Champions Trophy due to an injury.

The right-arm off-spinner, who replaced fellow off-spinner Mujeeb Ur Rahman in the squad for the marquee tournament, had sustained a fracture in his L4 vertebra.

Mujeeb, who played the full SA20 season with Paarl Royals through January and early February, hasn't donned the national jersey since the Zimbabwe series, he hasn't been named in the champions trophy either, and there have been reports that he hasn't recovered from his previous injuries too.

ACB Statement On Ghazanfar

"AM Ghazanfar is set to miss the ICC Champions Trophy as he has sustained a fracture in L4 Vertebra particularly in the left Pars interarticularis," ACB said in a statement on Wednesday.

"He has sustained this injury on the tour of Zimbabwe, he is set to be sidelined for 4 months, to say the least," it added.

Left-arm spinner Nangeyalia Kharote, who was earlier named in the reserves has now replaced Ghazanfar in the squad.

This injury is a huge blow for the 18-year-old spinner, who was snapped up by the Mumbai Indians in the auctions for 4.8Cr and will now miss his maiden IPL season due to this injury.

The Afghan squad boasts of spinners in their ranks with Rashid Khan, Noor Ahmad, Mohammad Nabi & Nangeyalia Kharote. Kharote hasn't played for the national team since the series against Bangladesh in Sharjah last year.

Squad: Hashmatullah Shahidi (C), Rahmat Shah (VC), Rahmanullah Gurbaz (WK), Ikram Alikhil (WK), Ibrahim Zadran, Sediqullah Atal, Azmatullah Omarzai, Mohammad Nabi, Gulbadin Naib, Rashid Khan, Nangeyalia Kharote , Noor Ahmad, Fazalhaq Farooqi, Naveed Zadran and Farid Ahmad Malik