Rahmat Shah Named Afghanistan Test and ODI Captain, Gurbaz Appointed Vice-Captain
Rahmat Shah replaces Hashmatullah Shahidi as Afghanistan's Test and ODI captain, with Gurbaz named vice-captain.
The Afghanistan Cricket Board (ACB) has named Rahmat Shah as the new captain of the Afghanistan men’s Test and ODI teams. The decision comes after Hashmatullah Shahidi stepped down from the leadership role, bringing an end to his successful stint as captain.
Rahmanullah Gurbaz has been appointed as the vice-captain in both formats. The 24-year-old wicketkeeper-batter will support Rahmat as Afghanistan begins a new chapter with separate captains across formats. Ibrahim Zadran will continue to lead the T20I side.
Rahmat’s promotion was a natural step after serving as Afghanistan’s vice-captain in Tests and ODIs since May 2021. The ACB said his experience and understanding of the team made him the right choice to take over.
The experienced middle-order batter is Afghanistan’s highest run-scorer in both ODI and Test cricket. He has scored 4,121 runs in 128 ODIs and 1,043 runs in 12 Tests, making him one of the country’s most dependable batters.
Although Rahmat and Gurbaz are senior members of the squad, neither has previously captained Afghanistan in international cricket.
The appointment also confirms Afghanistan’s split-format leadership model. While Rahmat will lead the Test and ODI teams, Ibrahim Zadran remains in charge of the T20I side.
Hashmatullah Shahidi leaves the captaincy after guiding Afghanistan through one of the most successful periods in their history. He led the team to 27 wins in 55 ODIs and oversaw their memorable campaign at the 2023 ODI World Cup.
Under Shahidi, Afghanistan finished sixth at the tournament after famous wins over England, Pakistan, and Sri Lanka. That performance secured qualification for the 2025 ICC Champions Trophy, where Afghanistan went on to finish fifth. His record in Test cricket was less successful, with one win and five defeats in seven matches as captain.
Rahmat’s first assignment as captain will be a five-match ODI series against Ireland, starting on August 5, 2026. The series will be important as Afghanistan aim to remain inside the ICC ODI rankings top 10 and secure automatic qualification for the next ODI World Cup.
