Bilal Sami Called Up as Mohammad Saleem Withdraws from Afghanistan ODI Squad

Afghanistan have brought in 21‑year‑old right‑arm medium pacer Bilal Sami as a late replacement for Mohammad Saleem, who has been ruled out of the upcoming three‑match ODI series against Bangladesh due to a groin (adductor) overload, the Afghanistan Cricket Board (ACB) confirmed on Monday.

Saleem, 23, has played only two ODIs — both against Bangladesh in July 2023 — and was last seen in Afghanistan colours in the one-off Test against Sri Lanka in Colombo in February 2024. He will now undergo rehabilitation at the ACB’s High Performance Center.

Sami, whose only international exposure so far was his ODI debut against Zimbabwe in December 2024, arrives with promising List A credentials. In 25 List A matches, he has claimed 44 wickets at an average of 25.72. He also represented Afghanistan in the Under‑19 World Cup in 2022, taking four wickets across five matches.

In the recently concluded Ghazi Amanullah Khan Regional One Day Tournament, Sami was Speen Ghar Region’s second‑highest wicket‑taker, finishing with 10 wickets at an average of 22.90 and an economy rate of 4.97.

Afghanistan will begin their ODI series against Bangladesh on Wednesday, 8 October, with the remaining two matches to follow in Abu Dhabi.