Asadullah Khan back as Afghanistan chief selector

Asadullah Khan has returned as Afghanistan's chief selector and will move back to Kabul after a stint with Qatar as head coach. He will replace Noorulhaq Malikzai, who had stepped down from the role but will continue to work as a committee member. "It has been a privilege to serve as the head of the selection committee for the esteemed Afghanistan Cricket Board," Malikzai said.

"Due to personal and family commitments, I am unable to continue in this significant position. I have requested to continue my association with ACB as a member of the committee, and I am committed to providing my utmost cooperation to Asadullah Khan and the board."

With Khan as the chief selector, Malikzai, Mir Mubariz and Ahmad Shah will work as supporting selectors in the four-man panel. Taj Malik Alam and Mohammad Khan Zadran are retained as domestic selectors. "I am honored to be entrusted with the responsibility of heading the selection committee of players, " Khan said in a statement. "ACB is not a new organisation for me as I have rich experience working for this great organisation. I am committed to identifying talented players and providing them with opportunities to represent our country and achieve success on the international stage."

Khan had been involved with Afghanistan cricket in various capacities before moving to Qatar after resigning from the same position citing "too much interruption" and interference from "non-cricketers" in the board, who have "no knowledge about the players and selection" as the main reasons. He had also worked as acting CEO briefly in 2019 and was one of the most noteworthy figures working in the domestic set-up as a coach and video analyst.

Afghanistan are presently in Bangladesh to play an all-format series including one Test followed by a packed home season, hosting Zimbabwe, India, and Pakistan with the Asia Cup and World Cup this year.