Without belittling the poised run of the Proteas, Afghanistan have been the revelation of this ICC showpiece.
The men's Asia Cup will be held in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) from September 9 to 28, Asian Cricket Council chairman Mohsin Naqvi announced on Saturday.
Saleem, 20, has yet to represent the national team in any format while Rasooli has shown strong form in the Shpageeza Cricket League, Afghanistan's domestic T20 tournament, after recovering from a finger injury.
Pakistan selectors rule out T20 role for Babar, Rizwan and Afridi in near future
The collective brilliance of the Indian XI in the 2023 World Cup makes a compelling case for each player to be considered for inclusion in every World XI.
Debutants Afghanistan will aim to continue their impressive rise in white-ball cricket, while South Africa will once again attempt to shed the 'chokers' tag when the two sides kick-off their Champions Trophy campaign in Karachi on Friday.
They know what it takes to win the 50-over World Cup, having won five of them in 12 editions, but Australia skipper Pat Cummins says they are never "weighed down" by history and will stick to basics against South Africa in the second semi-final in Kolkata on Thursday.
The 1992 World Cup winner had given his consent last week to become a paid selector.
Will the young gun survive Virat Kohli's comeback?
None other than India skipper Virat Kohli acknowledged Afghanistan's rapid rise in the last four years.
South Africa and India have advanced as the two other teams unbeaten in the group stage though both had their struggles in the United States leg of the tournament.
The 58-year-old feels that Australia and India were the best sides throughout the tournament, but Mitchell Marsh's side paid the price of their loss against Afghanistan.
Their eyes trained on the big-ticket T20 World Cup in the Americas in June, the national selectors aren't finding it easy to pick just one among Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli for the upcoming Afghanistan series.
The bowling of Sam Curran and Wood, with support from Chris Woakes and Ben Stokes, has carried England through.
The following are five bowlers to watch at the Twenty20 World Cup in the United Arab Emirates and Oman.
The Ajit Agarkar-led selection committee will have some sleepless nights before selecting the squad for T20s against Afghanistan with veterans Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli keen to play the World Cup in June.
A global title may be eluding India for a decade now, but former captain Sourav Ganguly said on Thursday that there is no need to press panic button while placing the onus on batters to win the World Cup at home.
Rohit, who will also captain the side, will be expected to carry on with his ultra aggressive approach in the powerplay like he showed in the ODI World Cup.
IMAGES from the Group 1 Super 8 match, played between India and Afghanistan, in Barbados, on Thursday.
As the next generation is eager to demonstrate their mettle on the international stage, there are polarising views linked with the presence of Kohli and Sharma in the T20 team.
'We are committed to leveraging our influence constructively to support the Afghanistan Cricket Board (ACB) in fostering cricket development and ensuring playing opportunities for both men and women in Afghanistan'.
The 22-year-old leg-spinner said on social media that he was not consulted by the ACB, who earlier named an 18-member squad and two reserve players for the tournament in the United Arab Emirates and Oman.
A PCB official said due to time constraints between the ICC Champions Trophy and New Zealand tour, Aaqib Javed will continue as interim head coach.
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From India's Hardik Pandya to Australia's Mitchell Marsh, and Bangladesh's Shakib Al Hasan, let's dive into the profiles of these remarkable talents who are poised to shine on the grand stage of the World Cup.
Unless a player picks up an injury in training, India's team is expected to wear the same look against a Pakistan squad that are without top stars Babar Azam and Mohammad Rizwan, lending it a look of youth and experience.
Teenage Afghanistan off-spinner AM Ghazanfar has been ruled out of both the ICC Champions Trophy and the IPL due to a lower back fracture.
The inclusion of Gill in the squad has raised doubts in the minds of management about who will open the innings for their side, along with left-hand batter Abhishek, in the tournament.
Ishan and KL have better returns than Samson and Jitesh though their slow playing style has come under scrutiny.
Nabi announced his decision to resign as the captain of the national team following their four-run loss to Australia
Pacer Asitha Fernando has been named as Chameera's replacement.
The PCB said that the change had to be made as Qadir is yet to recover from a hairline fracture
India skipper Suryakumar Yadav has lauded the energy and commitment of his teammates on the opening day of training ahead of the Asia Cup
A victory for India will be sweet revenge for their heartbreaking losses in the finals of the ODI World Cup and the World Test Championship last year.
In the current scenario, form in the IPL will carry a lot of weight for selection in the Indian team bound for USA and Caribbean.
With stars Babar Azam and Mohammad Rizwan sidelined, it will be a test of character for the Salman Agha-led Pakistan side.
He has had four back stress fractures in five years, most recently in 2018, which led him to consider retirement.
The Pakistan Blind Cricket Council (PBCC) said the tournament will go ahead on schedule irrespective of India's participation.
India played the tournament's best cricket for nearly six weeks but it was the familiar sight of Australia celebrating with the trophy as fireworks exploded overhead when the 13th edition of the World Cup came to a close on Sunday.
Simmons, who took over the position in December 2017, said he has achieved his target of taking Afghanistan to the World Cup and the time is ripe for him to leave.
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