ICC World Cup 2019 | Afghanistan replace Aftab Alam with Sayed Shirzad

ICC World Cup 2019 | Afghanistan replace Aftab Alam with Sayed Shirzad

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Afghanistan’s right arm medium fast bowler Aftab Alam has been replaced with left arm pacer Sayed Shirzam for the remainder of the World Cup upon ICC’s approval on Thursday. The country did not provide any reasons for the change stating it was done under undisclosed exceptional circumstances.

Having only played a single game for Afghanistan in the fifty over format, Sayed Shirzam has been given a golden opportunity to be a part of the 15-man squad for the ongoing quadrennial tournament in England. This happened after the Event Technical Committee of the International Cricket Council allowed the swap to take place, with the official announcement taking place on Thursday.  

Alam played three matches for Afghanistan in the ongoing World Cup, managing to get four wickets with three of them coming against New Zealand. No specific reasons were stated for Alam’s exclusion, as the release only stated that the player had to be withdrawn "under exceptional circumstances."

Though Shirzam failed to pick a wicket in his solitary international match, he has a good record in first class cricket with 49 wickets at an average of 25.38. Having already been knocked out, Afghanistan will be playing for pride and will look to win at least one match to end their World Cup campaign on a high note. 

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