Naveen is leading wicket-taker for Afghanistan in T20I cricket among pacers.
Afghanistan pace spearhead Naveen-ul-Haq has been ruled out of the upcoming three-match T20I series against West Indies and the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026, forcing the captain, Rashid Khan and team management to rethink their strategy. Naveen-ul-Haq will undergo surgery later this month, but details about his injury are not available.
This is a huge setback for Afghanistan, who are aiming to improve from their semi-final exit from the T20 World Cup 2024 and clinch the first-ever ICC title. Naveen-ul-Haq holds the record for most T20I wickets with 67 wickets in 48 games at an average of 18.73. He last played for the national team in December 2024. In 2025, he shone in Major League Cricket (MLC), but he missed the Asia Cup 2025 due to a shoulder issue. His last competitive game was for MI Emirates in ILT20.
The Afghanistan Cricket Board hasn’t announced a replacement yet. However, players such as mystery spinner AM Ghazanfar, batter Ijaz Ahmadzai, and seamer Zia Ur Rahman Sharifi have been named in the Afghanistan T20 World Cup 2026 squad.
Here are three key options who can replace Naveen-ul-Haq in the Afghanistan T20 World Cup 20026 squad.
Mystery spinner Allah Ghazanfar is one of Afghanistan’s promising talents. He offers exceptional control and could be a game-changer on pitches in India, which are likely to assist spinners. His two five-wicket hauls in just 14 ODIs demonstrate his wicket-taking ability. Even though his T20I stats are modest, with 2 wickets in 5 games, his economy rate of 6.00 highlights his control. Adding to his experience, Ghazanfar has played in various leagues, including the ILT20, CPL, T20 Blast, and even secured an IPL 2025 contract with the Mumbai Indians (MI), although he was ruled out due to injury.
With Afghanistan to play their T20 World Cup 2026 group stage games on spin-friendly pitches in India, and with Rashid Khan, Mujeeb Ur Rahman, Noor Ahmad, and Mohammad Nabi already in the squad, Ghazanfar’s inclusion in the travelling reserves makes him a strong choice.
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Zia Ur Rahman Sharifi made headlines after becoming Asia’s first fast bowler to take seven wickets on Test debut against Zimbabwe in Harare in October 2025. Even though his T20I experience is limited to one game, with figures of 2/21 at an economy of 10.50, Zia Ur Rahman Sharifi’s domestic T20 performance shows promise, with 44 wickets in 37 innings at an economy of 9.20.
The tall right-arm seamer is currently playing in the Bangladesh Premier League (BPL) 2025-26, where he has picked up seven wickets in six games so far at a 9.33 economy rate. This right-arm bowler will also add variety in the pace attack while complementing left-armer Fazalhaq Farooqi. His presence in the Afghanistan T20 World Cup 2026 reserves already shows the team management is counting on him. Hence, Zia ur Rahman Sharifi could emerge as the frontrunner to replace Naveen ul Haq in the Afghanistan T20 World Cup 2026 squad.
They say experience may be more important than youth in high-stakes clashes. Fareed Ahmad, a left-arm quick, has been in the game since his T20I debut in 2016. However, the inconsistent chances over the years didn’t help him live up to his potential. But Fareed Ahmad made a strong comeback with a three-wicket haul against Pakistan in the Asia Cup 2022 and 3/20 against India in a thrilling double Super Over in Bengaluru in 2024. Later that year, he was part of the Afghanistan squad that reached the semi-final of the 2024 T20 World Cup.
Fareed Ahmad won the SA20 title with Sunrisers Eastern Cape in 2023-24. He also featured in ILT20 with MI Emirates. He also has experience of being part of the T20 World Cup squads previously, including Afghanistan’s semi-final run in the last edition, which could play a crucial role in his case.
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