Teenager AM Ghazanfar of Afghanistan has been ruled out of both the ICC Champions Trophy and the IPL after suffering a lower back fracture, with at least four months off the field. The 18-year-old has been replaced in the main squad for ICC Champions Trophy by left-arm spinner Nangeyalia Kharote, originally one of the reserves. Kharote is 20 years old. He has played a total of seven ODIs and six T20 Internationals since making his debut last year.
He sustained this injury during Afghanistan’s tour to Zimbabwe late last year, which is expected to keep him out of action for a minimum of “four months”.
“AM Ghazanfar has been ruled out of the ICC Champions Trophy owing to a fracture on the left pars interarticularis of the lower back, at the L4 vertebra,” read the post on ‘X’ by the Afghanistan Cricket Board (ACB).
He got the injury during Afghanistan’s recent Zimbabwe tour and he is going to be away from the pitch for a minimum of four months, during which he will be on treatment.
Scheduled to take place from March 21 to May 25, Gen. Ghazanfar would be making his maiden appearance in the IPL after being bought by Mumbai Indians.
The ACB confirmed that although Mujeeb Ur Rahman played for Paarl Royals in SA20 in January and early February, the off-spinner will miss ODIs “until he has fully recovered.”
Mujeeb, who was not named in the provisional squad for the ICC Champions Trophy, last played ODIs during the course of the ICC Cricket World Cup in 2023.
Afghanistan kick off their Champions Trophy campaign against South Africa on February 21 in Karachi, with group-stage matches to follow against England and Australia.
