Afghanistan, Zimbabwe begin 1st Test in Sharjah today — Pajhwok

KABUL (Pajhwok): Afghanistan and Zimbabwe are set to begin a two-match Test series in Sharjah on Thursday, with both sides hoping to strengthen their positions ahead of possible changes to the ICC World Test Championship (WTC). Afghanistan will be led by Rahmat Shah, with Sediqullah Atal, Hashmatullah Shahidi and IkramAlikhil among the key players. However, star leg-spinner Rashid Khan and batter Ibrahim Zadran will miss the series. Zimbabwe, meanwhile, will be captained by Brian Bennett in the absence of Richard Ngarava. Experienced players Brendan Taylor and Craig Ervine are among those expected to strengthen their batting line-up, while Graeme Cremer returns to the Test squad after several years. The first Test will be played at Sharjah Cricket Stadium, with the second scheduled to begin on November 13 at the same venue. Neither side is part of the current 2025–27 WTC cycle, but discussions about expanding the championship to include all 12 Test-playing nations from 2027–29 have added significance to the series.