Afghanistan's spin sensation Allah Ghazanfar ruled out of Champions Trophy with back injury

Afghanistan’s teenage off-spinner, Allah Ghazanfar, has been ruled out of the ICC Champions Trophy due to a back injury.

Ghazanfar suffered a fracture in his L4 vertebra during Afghanistan’s recent tour of Zimbabwe, where the team secured a 2-0 victory in the ODI series.

In an official statement released on Wednesday, the Afghanistan Cricket Board (ACB) confirmed his absence, stating, "AM Ghazanfar has been ruled out of the ICC Champions Trophy due to a fracture in the L4 vertebra, specifically in the left pars interarticularis."

The ACB further mentioned that Ghazanfar will be out of action for at least four months while undergoing treatment.

This setback is particularly disappointing for the young spinner, as he had recently secured his first IPL contract with Mumbai Indians for the upcoming season, scheduled to begin on March 21.

To fill the void left by Ghazanfar, Afghanistan has named left-arm spinner Nangyal Kharoti as his replacement. Kharoti was initially included in the reserve squad.

With Kharoti's inclusion, Afghanistan’s spin attack now consists of four players—Rashid Khan, Noor Ahmad, Mohammad Nabi, and Kharoti himself.

The Afghanistan team arrived in Lahore on Wednesday and will have a rest day before commencing their training on Thursday.

According to an ACB spokesperson, the team will participate in a week-long conditioning camp, which includes two warm-up matches—one against Pakistan A on February 14 in Lahore and another against New Zealand on February 16 in Karachi.

Afghanistan is set to begin their Champions Trophy campaign against South Africa on February 21 in Karachi. Their second match will be against England on February 26 in Lahore, followed by their final group-stage match on February 28 at the same venue.

This marks Afghanistan’s debut appearance in the Champions Trophy, a significant milestone in their cricketing journey.

Afghanistan’s squad: Hashmatullah Shahidi (captain), Ibrahim Zadran, Rahmanullah Gurbaz, Sediqullah Atal, Rahmat Shah, Ikram Alikhil, Gulbadin Naib, Azmatullah Omarzai, Mohammad Nabi, Rashid Khan, Nangyal Kharoti, Noor Ahmad, Fazalhaq Farooqi, Farid Malik, Naveed Zadran. Reserves: Darwish Rasooli, Bilal Sami