The Afghanistan Cricket Board (ACB) made a significant change to their squad just days before the maiden match of their three-match ODI series against India on June 13, with Mohammad Saleem Safi joining the team in the selection of the Afghanistan pace attack.
Afghanistan Cricket Board (ACB) announced today that right arm fast bowler Mohammad Saleem Safi has been called up from reserve list to the main squad for the ODI series against Pakistan. He was initially being considered as a back-up fielder but was promoted to full formalities owing to his impressive performance against India in the recent Test match in New Chandigarh.
Safi’s elevation is timely as Afghanistan are seeking to create a more competitive pace unit for their impending overseas battles. His capacity to maintain good pace and hold up both in time and distance drew selectors and team management to him.
Safi played an unrelenting bowling effort in the one-off Test despite the weather and lack of any special support from the pitch. He was able to regularly beat the 140 kph pace, proving control and endurance over long spells.
Safi was one of the few bright spots as Afghanistan were handed a heavy innings loss and 300-run defeat. He managed to grab 6 wickets in the one (and only) innings for the Indian batting line up who were very strong.
Tactically, his inclusion is a sign that Afghanistan is looking to pay off his form and is investing in pace options to beat the top order early in the match. In the ODI series against India, Afghanistan is likely to face a test of its bowling depth, particularly in the powerplay where it is expected to field its top line-up to break the deadlock.
