Afghanistan’s champion spinner Rashid Khan have made himself unavailable from Test cricket to recover from his back issues after undergoing surgery last year. Rashid and the team management have agreed to remove him from the Test team to manage his ongoing problem.

He was not picked for the one-off Test against New Zealand in Greater Noida, starting September 9. Rashid didn’t play cricket for four months after his surgery following the 2023 ODI World Cup in India. He led Afghanistan in the ICC T20 World Cup 2024 where the sub-continent team made it to the semi-finals.

The 25-year-old recently played three contests in the Shpageeza T20 league in Kabul, taking six wickets.

“It was decided to gradually increase his workload after the surgery. Not playing Test cricket for six months to one year was also one of the options. In red-ball cricket, he would have to bowl from one end and his back is not ready to take that kind of pressure. He would play in the ODI series against South Africa,” the source said.

Rashid has been a part of five Tests, 103 one-day internationals and 93 T20Is for Afghanistan. He injured his hamstring during The Hundred in United Kingdom. The Afghanistan team is already practising in Greater Noida.