Squad for ACC U16 Challenge Trophy has been selected

Afghan Cricket Board has selected a14 player squad to participate in the Asian Cricket Council U16 Challenge competition in Kuala Lumpur in July later is year.

The squad has been selected after trails were organized from 17 to 19 March in Nangarhar Cricket Academy in the Eastern city of Jalalabad .

ACB had announced the trail dates prior to the trail and invited all U16 cricketers to participate for selection to the national U16 squad. ACB however had the fear that some over aged players may show up for the trail and therefore conducted a bone test for the selected players. As a result a few players were dropped from the squad after the bone test found them to be over aged.

Aziz Fazli, a player from Nangarhar province, told The Cricket Post that that he was selected to the squad, but the bone test identified him 18 years old and therefore was not included in the squad. He claims to be 15 and a half year old, disputing the test.

ACB officials say they have conducted the test at the French Hospital in Kabul.

Apparently ACB does not want to face the embarrassment it has faced along Nepal, Oman, Saudi Arabia, Thailand, and UAE when the results of ACC Age-Verification Program found that these teams had more than two over-aged players in their squads for ACC U-15 Elite Cup 2007. These teams were subsequently disqualified from the competition.