Naveen-ul-Haq reacts after being snubbed from Afghanistan’s Asia Cup squad, shares cryptic post

Afghanistan’s fast bowler, Naveen-ul-Haq, recently expressed his feelings about being left out of the national squad for the upcoming 2023 Asia Cup. The Afghanistan Cricket Board announced the 17-member squad for the 50-over tournament, which will be held in a hybrid model in Sri Lanka and Pakistan.

Taking to Instagram on Sunday (August 27), Naveen shared a captivating picture of himself along with a profound quote:

“No matter how well your eyes adjust to darkness, you will never mistake it for light.”

For the unversed, Naveen recently participated in his final One Day International (ODI) match against Ireland in January 2021. Despite being only 23 years old, he has already played in seven ODIs, taking an impressive 14 wickets with an economy rate of 5.78. It is worth noting that Naveen’s absence is surprising, considering Afghanistan’s recent loss of the ODI series against Pakistan in Sri Lanka, which concluded with a score of 3-0.

Naveen’s most recent appearance was for Leicestershire in the Vitality Blast, where he managed to secure four wickets in just five games. In the previous edition of the Indian Premier League, he also performed admirably for the Lucknow Super Giants, taking 11 wickets in eight games.

The inclusion of Naveen in Afghanistan’s team could have greatly enhanced their chances of success. Born in Kabul, he brings a wealth of experience from playing in various prestigious leagues such as the Big Bash League, Lanka Premier League, Caribbean Premier League, Pakistan Super League, and Bangladesh Premier League.

On August 27, the Afghanistan Cricket Board proudly presented the 17-member squad that will represent our nation in the highly anticipated 2023 Asia Cup. However, Fareed Ahmad and Wafadar Momand have been excluded from the squad. Additionally, Azmatullah Omarzai’s unfortunate side strain has rendered him unable to participate.

Meanwhile, Gulbadin Naib and Karim Janat have been included in the team as reserve all-rounders. Additionally, Najibullah Zadran has made a comeback after recovering from an injury that had previously prevented him from participating in the ODI series against Pakistan.

Afghanistan’s squad for Asia Cup 2023: Hashmatullah Shahidi (C), Ibrahim Zadran, Riaz Hassan, Rahmanullah Gurbaz (wk), Najibullah Zadran, Rashid Khan, Ikram Ali Khil, Karim Janat, Gulbadin Naib, Mohammad Nabi, Mujeeb Ur Rahman, Fazalhaq Farooqi, Sharafuddin Ashraf, Noor Ahmad, Abdul Rahman, Mohammad Saleem

READ| Karim Janat returns as Afghanistan name 17-member squad for Asia Cup 2023