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Somerset 381 for 7 (Aldridge 149*, Abell 118) vs HampshireCenturies from Tom Abell and Kasey Aldridge saw Somerset recover from a perilous position on the second day of the Rothesay County Championship Division One match against Hampshire at the Cooper Associates Ground, Taunton.After the first-day washout, the hosts slumped to 99 for 5, having won the toss, before Abell and Aldridge put together a sixth-wicket stand of 221, Abell making 118 and Aldridge 149 not out. Keith Barker was the pick of the Hampshire bowling attack with 2 for 35 from 13 overs.For Abell, it was a second Championship hundred in successive games, while 24-year-old Aldridge’s score was a career-best, beating the 101 not out he made against Lancashire at Old Trafford in 2023. Together they enabled their team to close on 381 for 7.After a slightly delayed start due to a shower, Somerset had reached 21 without loss in the fourth over when Tom Kohler-Cadmore, on 10, pulled a catch to square leg off Barker, who quickly followed up by having Tom Lammonby caught behind for a duck.James Rew struck a six over fine leg off Barker before more rain interrupted play at shortly before 11.10am with Somerset 35 for 2. A further ten overs were lost when the action resumed at 10.45am with relegation-threatened Hampshire looking to maintain momentum.They did exactly that as with only eight runs added Archie Vaughan edged a defensive push off Kyle Abbott through to wicketkeeper Ben Brown. It was 69 for 4 when Rew, on 30, dragged a delivery from James Fuller onto his stumps.The lunch score was 83 for 4 off 21 overs. That became 99 for 5 when Lewis Goldsworthy, who had contributed 22 to a stand of 30 with Abell, was caught behind down the leg side by Brown to give offspinner Washington Sundar, making his Hampshire debut, a wicket.That was as good as it got for Hampshire, Abell and Aldridge settling in to play some sweetly-timed strokes. Aldridge pulled a six off Fuller as the pair put together a half-century stand off 88 balls.Abell moved to fifty with a firm clip off his legs for four off Eddie Jack, having faced 99 balls, and Aldridge, who is leaving at the end of the season to join Durham, followed to the same landmark off 76 deliveries. The century partnership was brought up off 143 balls and at tea Somerset had recovered to 208 for 5.The final session saw Aldridge reverse sweep a six off Washington, while a similar shot for four by Abell brought Somerset a first batting point and took the partnership past 150. A single off Fuller then took Abell to 96 and 1000 first class runs for the season.His 20th first class hundred was reached with a boundary through mid-off, Fuller again the bowler, having faced 164 balls and hit 13 fours. It followed an innings of 130 in the previous Championship match against Yorkshire at Taunton.When Aldridge played Washington through the off side for two it took the stand to 190, a Somerset record for the sixth-wicket against Hampshire. Aldridge had also been involved in the previous highest, 188 with James Rew at Taunton in 2023. He celebrated with a pulled six of Jack as the light closed in.A single of Felix Organ took the allrounder to his second first-class century, off 155 balls with 11 fours and three sixes. He cleared the ropes for the fourth time with the cleanest of straight hits off Organ before the spinner responded by bowling Abell as he stretched forward.Abell had faced 189 balls. His departure meant a second bowling point for Hampshire, who then lost Nick Gubbins to injury two balls into his fourth over of the innings. It was completed by Washington.Aldridge slog-swept a fifth six off Washington before Abbott bowled Ben Green in the first over with the second new ball. At stumps, Aldridge had faced 206 deliveries and extended his boundary count to 16 fours and five sixes.

Big picture – 3-0 beckons for Afghanistan

Afghanistan will be eyeing their first ODI series whitewash against Bangladesh when they play the third and final ODI of the series in Abu Dhabi.They stormed Bangladesh in the second game, bowling them out for just 109 defending a modest 190. Given how the confidence of the two teams have gone in opposite directions in this series, Bangladesh turning things around might not be on the cards. For Afghanistan, it is about fixing their batting a bit, while allowing their best bowlers to express themselves as they have so far.They took down Bangladesh swiftly on Saturday. Azmatullah Omarzai took three of the first four wickets to fall, Tanzid Hasan and Saif Hassan fell trying to manufacture shots. Najmul Hossain Shanto was run out. Rashid Khan then ran through the middle and lower order with his accuracy, Towhid Hridoy and Nurul Hasan attempting slogs and missing. Nangeyalia Kharote had Jaker Ali’s number in the middle of Rashid’s burst of wickets.Related

• Bangladesh must 'play the ball, not the bowler' – Mushtaq

The bowlers had to do what they did since the batters hadn’t. Afghanistan struggled through the middle overs but Ibrahim Zadran made sure they hung around till the 45th over. Zadran struck just four boundaries in his 140-ball stay, underlining the importance of rotating the strike on the slow Abu Dhabi pitches. Despite the middle order hardly contributing, the likes of Kharote and AM Ghazanfar kept Zadran company.Compared to how Afghanistan have had several contributors, Bangladesh are finding it tough to locate even one or two. The batting frailties – they had scored 221 in the first ODI, which was knocked off with five wickets in hand – have weighed heavy on their overall approach.Afghanistan’s 190 was the lowest total batting first in 55 matches in Abu Dhabi. Bangladesh’s inability to chase down the small total was due to a misfiring top order, and how the middle-order batters surrendered to Rashid: “I think we have to sometimes play the ball, not the bowler,” Mushtaq Ahmed, their spin-bowling coach, said of the approach.Bangladesh’s bowling and fielding, however, have been good. They have tried to match Afghanistan’s spinners, while the pace attack has definitely bowled better than their counterparts. The bowlers have given the batters a chance. The batters, however, have not responded as expected.

Form guide

Afghanistan WWWLW
Bangladesh LLLWLIbrahim Zadran is the key man in the Afghanistan batting order•Afghanistan Cricket Board

In the spotlight – Ibrahim Zadran and Mehidy Hasan Miraz

Ibrahim Zadran is Afghanistan’s batting mainstay. He complements Rahmanullah Gurbaz’s aggression at the top, and then drops anchor for the middle-order batters, and if he continues to bat long enough, acts as the perfect foil for the big-hitting allrounders. Zadran’s strength lies in his adaptability, particularly between conditions. He also has the hunger for the big scores, as was evident in his 177 against England in the Champions Trophy this year. Zadran will once again be the key batter as Afghanistan look to make it 3-0 on Tuesday.Bangladesh’s captain Mehidy Hasan Miraz hasn’t been able to lift his team out of the funk. He is new to the job, but Mehidy is an established member of the ODI setup. There’s little question about his own ability to make half-centuries or take wickets, but that hasn’t translated into Bangladesh victories. He has an under-performing batting line-up, which has been the case for far too long. The onus is on him to change things around.

Team news – Rasooli to replace Rahmat

Rahmat Shah’s injury has opened the door for Darwish Rasooli to enter the middle order. They could also give an opportunity to seamers Abdollah Ahmadzai or Bilal Sami in place of the wicketless Bashir Ahmad.Afghanistan (probable): 1 Rahmanullah Gurbaz (wk), 2 Ibrahim Zadran, 3 Sediqullah Atal, 4 Darwish Rasooli, 5 Hashmatullah Shahidi (capt), 6 Azmatullah Omarzai, 7 Mohammad Nabi, 8 Rashid Khan, 9 AM Ghazanfar, 10 Nangeyalia Kharote, 11 Abdollah Ahmadzai/Bilal SamiMohammad Naim and Shamim Hossain could give a break to Tanzid Hasan and the out-of-form Jaker. Nahid Rana could also get a game.Bangladesh (probable): 1 Tanzid Hasan /Mohammad Naim, 2 Saif Hassan, 3 Najmul Hossain Shanto, 4 Towhid Hridoy, 5 Mehidy Hasan Miraz (capt), 6 Nurul Hasan (wk), 7 Jaker Ali/Shamim Hossain, 8 Rishad Hossain, 9 Tanzim Hasan/Nahid Rana, 10 Tanvir Islam, 11 Mustafizur Rahman

Pitch and conditions – slow pitches make batting a grind

The generally sluggish nature of the Zayed Stadium pitches have meant that both sets of batters have struggled to find boundaries in the middle overs. The weather continues to be sizzling hot.

Stats and trivia: Rashid puzzle for Bangladesh

• Rashid now has six five-wicket hauls in ODIs, the second-highest for a legspinner behind Shahid Afridi, who has nine.
• Bangladesh’s 109 in the second ODI is their lowest score against Afghanistan. They couldn’t chase down 191 after Afghanistan made 190, the lowest score batting first in Abu Dhabi.
• Rashid has now dismissed Hridoy four times in ODIs, equal with Mushfiqur Rahim, as his most frequent Bangladeshi victim.

Prenelan Subrayen is, in every sense, a marathon man. How else does one describe a cricketer whose spirit refuses to be dimmed, even after the repeated heartbreak of being reported for a suspect action? Each time he has been forced to rebuild, he has returned with more fire, more resolve, more love for his craft than before.At 32, Subrayen’s career is just two Tests old. Earlier this month in Pakistan, he played the first Test in Lahore, and made way when Keshav Maharaj returned from injury for the second Test in Rawalpindi. Then, last week, he learned of his non-selection for the India tour.Related

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But in his first outing since that disappointment, Subrayen reminded everyone of his qualities. On Friday in Bengaluru, he wheeled away tirelessly, bowling 22 overs unchanged to rip through the heart of India A’s batting order and restore South Africa A’s advantage by stumps on Day 2 of the first unofficial Test. From 90 for no loss, India slumped to 234 all out as Subrayen picked up 5 for 61. Having pocketed a 75-run first-innings lead, South Africa A ended the day 30 for no loss.Subrayen’s five scalps included some noted names. He deceived Ayush Mhatre in flight as he advanced, forcing him to chip to midwicket for 65, the highest score of the India A innings. Devdutt Padikkal mistimed a lofted hit to mid-off as he stepped out, and Rajat Patidar was bowled through the gate attempting to drive against the turn.Subrayen employed as many as four catchers around the bat at most times. Tanush Kotian, who has bailed Mumbai out of tough situations time and again, was out jabbing to one of them, short leg, and Khaleel Ahmed mistimed a slog to long-on to give Subrayen his 13th five-wicket haul in first-class cricket.While Subrayen did the bulk of the damage, others had moments to remember too. Okuhle Cele is likely replay his ball to dismiss Rishabh Pant over and over.Midway through the second session, when Pant walked out to bat for the first time since returning from his broken foot, there was a sense of anticipation around the ground among the handful present. He charged down the pitch first ball, and swung hell for leather, only to connect with thin air.Cele then bowled short at Pant, attempting to target his ribcage, not wanting to give him any room to drive or slash. And on 17, the tactic found its reward, Pant jabbing to Zubayr Hamza in the slips while attempting to fend one away.The only India A batter to make an impression with the bat was young Mhatre. He fearlessly drove on the up, played a few delightful straight drives, and took on spin from get-go. All of this brought him a 46-ball half-century. He was eventually out for 65, his knock containing 10 fours.B Sai Sudharsan, his opening partner, was edgy for much of his 94-ball stay. Early on, an attempt to pinch a single to mid-off nearly had him run out on 2; he was saved by a full-stretch dive at the non-striker’s end. Sudharsan alternated between denying himself outside off and poking at deliveries that left him. Eventually, Tshepo Moreki worked him over with an away-going delivery that he nicked behind for 32.This was when Subrayen stepped up and began his marathon spell, which has now put South Africa A firmly in the driver’s seat with two full days remaining.

In the aftermath of their 217-run defeat to Bangladesh, Ireland captain Andy Balbirnie was still proud of the fight put up by Curtis Campher, Gavin Hoey and Jordan Neill on the fifth day in Dhaka.The visitors batted 59.3 overs on Sunday, holding Bangladesh up till almost the tea break, when Hasan Murad removed Hoey and Matthew Humphreys with successive deliveries. Nobody could remove Campher though. He made an unbeaten 71 having faced the greatest number of balls by an Ireland batter in the fourth innings of a Test match (259). Hoey was second on the list with 104.”[Curtis Campher] is someone that is hard to get out when he is in his bubble,” Balbirnie said. “He is very determined not to get out even when he is in the nets. He has such a strong defense, he showed that today.”Bangladesh were pushed to a little bit of an extreme, bowling 100 overs for the first time in the fourth innings at Shere Bangla National stadium. Campher played a big part in that.Related

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“If he puts his mind to it, he can do it,” Balbirnie said. “It is a shame that no one from the top and middle order could hang around for long enough. I think the batters showed fight today, to bat till just before tea on the fifth day. We were behind the game a lot. Bangladesh deserved to win the series 2-0.”Balbirnie also talked about Hoey and his recently-developed skillset as an allrounder: “I play with Gavin in club cricket in Dublin. I have known him since he was a kid. His dad was an Irish international in the 1990s. He was a legspinner as well. I think [Hoey] has only been bowling legspin since [Covid] lockdown, so it’s been five years. He was a seam bowler [earlier].Andy Balbirnie was candid about Ireland’s inability to bat for long periods•ECB/Getty Images

“So to have that skillset in this short time is really impressive. He will get better and better from experiences like this. We have to make sure that he gets enough overs under his belt. We need to have our spinners develop consistency so that we do well in these conditions.”Ireland had some hope of batting the day out and coming away with a draw. “[There were expectations] probably just before Murad took the two wickets,” Balbirnie said. “There was a small bit of excitement in the dressing room at that drinks break. Credit to the Bangladesh spinners. They don’t miss their line and length too often. They test batters a lot. The two wickets in two balls put an end to that [hope] pretty quickly. It was an enthralling day’s play. I think Curtis can be proud of his work today.”The fact that the Test match stretched to the fifth day was also a tribute to the type of pitch prepared for the encounter. “A lot of us had seen the West Indies ODI series. We were a bit nervous coming here,” Balbirnie said, referring to pitches that had, on one occasion, witnessed fifty overs of spin in the first innings. “When we arrived, we thought [the pitch] would break up quickly, but it held together. There was turn, but it wasn’t every ball. It was a good cricket wicket. I thought it was a pretty fair wicket. We had two good wickets over the two Tests.”Balbirnie was also candid about what Ireland hoped for from the series. “We had won three Tests in a row before coming here, so there was confidence in the group,” he said. “We had to manage our expectations. You are coming to places that have experienced cricketers.”We are trying to get that consistency. Our top-order didn’t fire for the last two games. Bangladesh’s top-order showed us how to do it – to bat for a long time and get big hundreds. [Their batting] was the big difference. We weren’t competitive against Bangladesh for longer periods. They showed their class over the nine days,” he said.

Big picture: Iyer, Jaiswal, Thakur in action

A strong West Zone side led by Shardul Thakur will take on Central Zone in the semi-final of the 2025-26 Duleep Trophy at Ground B of BCCI’s Centre of Excellence, on the outskirts of Bengaluru.While Central qualified on the basis of a first-innings lead in the quarter-final against North East Zone, they are up against a much stronger West Zone side, which includes Yashasvi Jaiswal, Shreyas Iyer, Ruturaj Gaikwad and Tushar Deshpande.Related

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West will be without Sarfaraz Khan, though, after he suffered a quadriceps injury in the pre-season Buchi Babu tournament in Chennai. On the bowling front, Thakur and Deshpande will lead the fast-bowling attack, while Shams Mulani and Tanush Kotian are the premier spinners.Central, meanwhile, will be without Kuldeep Yadav, who has been named in India’s Asia Cup squad. They will also be without their captain, Dhruv Jurel, who had also missed the quarter-final with a groin niggle. Vidarbha wicketkeeper-batter Akshay Wadkar has been added to the squad in Jurel’s absence, while Rajat Patidar is expected to lead the side.The Central batters had a decent outing against North East Zone, with Patidar and Shubham Sharma cracking centuries, while Danish Malewar scored a double-ton. Khaleel Ahmed, Deepak Chahar and Harsh Dubey will be key in restricting the West batters.West made a direct entry to the semi-final by virtue of playing the Duleep Trophy final the last time the tournament was played in the zonal format in the 2023-24 season. The semi-final will not be televised.

In the spotlight: Shreyas Iyer and Rajat Patidar

The Duleep Trophy semi-final will be Shreyas Iyer first competitive game since the IPL 2025 final. He didn’t find a place in India’s Asia Cup squad despite a superb batting performance for Punjab Kings. Now, with a busy domestic and international season ahead, he will want some red-ball runs to strengthen his case for a return to India’s international squads.Rajat Patidar began his 2025-26 domestic season with a 96-ball 125 in the first innings of the Duleep quarter-final and followed up with a 72-ball 66 in the second. Against a more challenging West Zone bowling unit, Patidar will be one of Central’s most important batters.

Team news

Baroda’s Shivalik Sharma replaced Sarfaraz in the West Zone squad. He is likely to bat in the middle order, with Jaiswal, Gaikwad, Iyer and Harvik Desai in the top four.West Zone (probable): 1 Yashasvi Jaiswal, 2 Harvik Desai (wk), 3 Ruturaj Gaikwad, 4 Shreyas Iyer, 5 Shivalik Sharma, 6 Jaymeet Patel, 7 Shardul Thakur (capt), 8 Shams Mulani, 9 Tanush Kotian, 10 Tushar Deshpande, 11 Dharmendrasinh Jadeja/Arzan NagwaswalaAryan Juyal retired hurt after scoring 60 in the first innings of Central’s quarter-final and didn’t return to the field for the rest of the match, with Railways wicketkeeper-batter Upendra Yadav filling in for him. If Juyal doesn’t get fit in time, one of Upendra or Wadkar could get a chance. Rajasthan left-arm spinner Manav Suthar is also expected to come in for Kuldeep.Central Zone (probable): 1 Aayush Pandey, 2 Danish Malewar, 3 Shubham Sharma, 4 Rajat Patidar (capt), 5 Upendra Yadav/Akshay Wadkar (wk), 6 Yash Rathod, 7 Deepak Chahar, 8 Harsh Dubey, 9 Manav Suthar, 10 Aditya Thakare, 11 Khaleel Ahmed

Pitch and conditions

The pitch at Ground B of the BCCI’s CoE was excellent for batting for the quarter-finals, and a similar surface could be expected for the semi-final too. There has been rain in and around Bengaluru for the last few weeks, and while rain isn’t forecast for the opening day, it is expected to be cloudy, which could aid fast bowlers.

Dhruv Jurel scored his second first-class century on a day when all India A batters except captain Shreyas Iyer were among the runs against Australia A. The hosts ended day three on 403 for 4, still 129 runs behind the visitors’ first-innings total of 532. Apart from Jurel, who was batting on 113 at stumps, Devdutt Padikkal, B Sai Sudharsan and N Jagadeesan also went past fifty at the Ekana Stadium in Lucknow.India A started day three trailing Australia A by 416 runs, with nine wickets in hand, and Xavier Bartlett had Jagadeesan caught behind by Josh Phillipe for 64 in the sixth over of the day to end a second-wicket stand of 49. Padikkal then joined Sudharsan in a productive stand, but with their partnership nearing a hundred, Sudharsan missed an attempted reverse-sweep off Cooper Connolly and was trapped lbw for 73.Australia A struck again 3.2 overs later, with Iyer was trapped in front by Corey Rocchiccioli for 8. It was Iyer’s third successive low score in a first-class game, after he was dismissed for 25 and 12 against Central Zone in the semi-finals of the Duleep Trophy earlier this month.But Iyer’s wicket turned out to be the last for Australia A on Thursday, as Jurel and Padikkal rebuilt. India A were 310 behind when the two came together, and by the end of the day they had put on an unbroken 181 for the fifth wicket.Padikkal was more the patient of the two batters, taking his time in getting to his fifty off 117 balls. The aggressive Jurel reached the landmark in just 54 deliveries, getting there by smashing Rocchiccioli for two consecutive sixes and a four.Rocchiccioli was the most expensive of the Australia A bowlers, going for 128 runs in 24 overs at an economy rate of 5.33. Jurel especially took a liking to the offspinner, scoring 47 runs off him at just better than a run a ball, with three fours and three sixes.By the end of the day, Jurel had rattled along at a strike rate of 85.61 over 132 balls, and Padikkal at 48.31. The left-hand batter went to stumps batting on 86, in sight of a seventh first-class century. Their 181-run stand had come at nearly five runs an over.With only the final day’s play left, and with neither team having begun their second innings, the match seems headed towards a draw.

Australia 98 for 3 (Mooney 42) beat South Africa 97 (King 7-18) by seven wicketsAlana King reigned supreme as defending champions Australia finished the Women’s World Cup group stage in dominant fashion with a crushing seven-wicket win over South Africa in Indore. Australia will now take on hosts India in the second semi-final in Navi Mumbai on October 30, while South Africa will travel to Guwahati to face England in the first semi on October 29.King claimed Australia’s best figures in women’s ODIs, and the first seven-wicket haul at a Women’s World Cup, as South Africa were rolled for 97 with a whopping 26 overs to spare. Across the men’s and women’s game, King’s figures of 7 for 18 put her second only to Glenn McGrath (whose 7 for 15 came against Namibia in 2003) in the history of 50-over World Cups.Related

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King, who took four wickets without giving up a run in her first 15 balls, proved almost impossible for South Africa to play on a surface that gripped from an early stage. She conceded only nine scoring shots across seven overs of mesmerising control, hitting the stumps four times in a bewitching display that took her to third on this edition’s wicket-taking list.Only three South Africa batters managed to reach double-figures in an innings that provided uncomfortable reminders of the collapse for 69 in their opening group game against England, whom they will play again in the semi-final.Australia lost two early wickets – Phoebe Litchfield edging an expansive drive to slip before Nadine de Klerk’s flying catch saw off Ellyse Perry – but the result was never in doubt thereafter as Georgia Voll and Beth Mooney put on a stand of 76 in 65 balls. Mooney departed with 11 still needed but Voll finished unbeaten on 38 as Australia romped home with more than 33 overs unused.Asked to bat in muggy, overcast conditions, South Africa were given a good start by captain Laura Wolvaardt, who looked in excellent touch while striking seven boundaries in her 31 off 26 balls. She had scored all but one run of the opening stand, and South Africa imploded spectacularly after her dismissal to Megan Schutt in the seventh over.From 42 for 2 at the end of the powerplay, they were 43 for 4 after King’s first over, and then 60 for 6 midway through her third. De Klerk survived the hat-trick by edging another sharp legbreak for four, and Sinalo Jafta counterpunched with a brisk knock of 29 off 17. But King cleaned up Jafta to complete a five-wicket haul, then removed Masabata Klaas’ off stump as a bamboozled South Africa slipped to 88 for 8 and then 97 all out. King, appropriately, finished the innings by spinning one through de Klerk for her seventh.Alana King bagged her second ODI five-for•ICC/Getty Images

King’s haul showcased her supreme command of flight and turn. She was, however, aided and abetted by South Africa’s seemingly unwavering commitment to attacking shots. Sune Luus tried to take her on second ball, only managing to top-edge a slog-sweep to mid-on, while Annerie Dercksen saw her leg stump uprooted when aiming an expansive drive down the ground.Marizanne Kapp was almost dismissed twice in the space of her four balls from King, lucky initially to see a leading edge clear the bowler before slashing limply to backward point. Chloe Tryon flipped her first ball to midwicket, after the dismissal of Dercksen; having taken King for back-to-back fours down the ground and through third (accounting for 40% of the runs King conceded), Jafta’s off stump was toppled as she went for another heave across the line.King’s rampage was briefly interrupted by Ashleigh Gardner getting in on the act, having Ayabonga Khaka bowled playing down the wrong line. Nonkululeko Mlaba survived when nicking King behind, the catch deflecting over slip off Mooney’s gloves, but Australia’s spin queen was not to be denied.Both teams had already qualified for the semi-finals, but South Africa’s rapid demise meant they bookended the group stage with two of the four shortest completed innings at Women’s World Cups.Tahlia McGrath, who again deputised for Alyssa Healy as Australia’s captain continued her recovery from a calf strain, said at the toss the group leaders were “getting closer” to their best after a hard-fought win over England at Holkar Stadium in midweek. This performance suggested they are ominously close.Wolvaardt, having admitted she, too, would have preferred to bowl, did her best to stand up with the bat. She capitalised on a poor second over from Schutt to peel off four boundaries, and looked in serene touch – in contrast to her partner, Tazmin Brits, who was 1 off 14 balls when Wolvaardt spooned to midwicket. King, in her first act of wizardry for the day, did brilliantly to get her fingers under the ball.Luus got off the mark with a toe-ended boundary and Brits found her timing to flick Kim Garth through midwicket, but 42 for 1 was about as good as it got for South Africa. In the final over of the powerplay, Brits was pinned in front of the stumps by a Garth legcutter that stayed low – and then it was over to King to crown proceedings with a regal display.

Afghanistan’s right-arm fast bowler Mohammad Saleem has been ruled out of the upcoming three-match ODI series against Bangladesh in Abu Dhabi due to a groin (adductor) overload.As a result, Saleem will report to the ACB’s High Performance Center for rehabilitation, a release by the Afghanistan Cricket Board said.In Saleem’s place, right-arm medium-pace bowler Bilal Sami will be joining Afghanistan’s squad for the ODIs against Bangladesh.Twenty-three-year-old Saleem has played two ODIs so far, with both of those matches coming against Bangladesh in July 2023. He last played for Afghanistan in his solitary Test, which was against Sri Lanka in Colombo in February 2024.Saleem’s replacement Sami, meanwhile, has played for Afghanistan only once, which was on ODI debut against Zimbabwe in December 2024. Sami, 21, has played 25 List A games, where he has 44 wickets at an average of 25.72. He represented Afghanistan Under-19 at the World Cup in 2022, where he got four wickets in five matches.Sami was recently in action at the Ghazi Amanullah Khan Regional One Day Tournament, Afghanistan’s domestic List A competition, which ended in September. There, he was his team Speen Ghar Region’s second-highest wicket-taker with ten wickets at an average of 22.90, and an economy rate of 4.97.Afghanistan’s first ODI against Bangladesh will take place on Wednesday, October 8.