Virat Kohli's bitter rival from IPL, Naveen-ul-Haq shares cryptic post after Asia Cup snub

The Afghanistan Cricket Board (ACB) on Sunday unveiled its 17-member squad for the upcoming Asia Cup 2023. The tournament is scheduled to begin on August 30 with a match between host Pakistan and associate nation Nepal. Afghanistan will begin its campaign against Bangladesh on September 3.   

3 things you need to know

• The Asia Cup 2023 will be held in Pakistan and Sri Lanka
• The tournament will be held from August 30 to September 17
• Afghanistan unveiled its 17-member squad on Sunday

Also Read: Afghanistan Unveil Asia Cup 2023 Squad: Naveen-ul-Haq Axed, Rashid Khan, Mohd Nabi Included

Naveen-ul-Haq shares cryptic post after Asia Cup snub

Afghanistan fast bowler, Naveen-ul-Haq, has posted a cryptic message on his Instagram account, shedding light on his exclusion from the national squad for the upcoming 2023 Asia Cup. The Afghanistan Cricket Board has revealed the list of 17 players who will be participating in the 50-over tournament, set to be played in a hybrid format across Sri Lanka and Pakistan.

Despite being a regular member of the Afghanistan team, Naveen-ul-Haq's name was conspicuously absent from the roster announced on August 27. In a thought-provoking move, Naveen took to his social media platform on the same day to share a photo of himself along with a quote that reads: "No matter how well your eyes adjust to darkness, you'll never mistake it for light."

For those not familiar with Naveen, the Afghanistan pacer represents the Lucknow Super Giants franchise in the Indian Premier League. During the 2023 edition of the cash-rich tournament, Naveen was involved in a heated on-field exchange with former India captain Virat Kohli. The incident occurred during a match between Lucknow Super Giants and Royal Challengers Bangalore. 

Naveen's most recent One Day International (ODI) appearance was back in January 2021 against Ireland. Despite his limited international experience, the 23-year-old has managed to take 14 wickets across seven ODIs with an economy rate of 5.78. Intriguingly, Naveen's absence comes on the heels of Afghanistan's 3-0 loss to Pakistan in a recent ODI series held in Sri Lanka.

Also Read: Pakistan Make A Last-moment Shocking Change To Their Asia Cup Squad Ahead Of Marquee Event

Afghanistan's squad for Asia Cup 2023

Afghanistan's squad: Hashmatullah Shahidi (captain), Rahmanullah Gurbaz (wk), Ikram Alikhil (wk), Ibrahim Zadran, Riaz Hassan, Rahmat Shah, Najibullah Zadran, Mohammad Nabi, Karim Janat, Gulbadin Naib, Rashid Khan, Abdul Rahman, Sharafuddin Ashraf, Mujeeb Ur Rehman, Noor Ahmad, Mohammad Saleem Safi, Fazal Haq Farooqi. 

Image: IPL/BCCI