Kabul, Aug 6 (IANS): The 18-year-old left-arm spinner Noor Ahmad made a comeback as the Afghanistan Cricket Board announced a strong 18-member squad for the three-match ODI series against Pakistan to be played in Sri Lanka later this month.

For the series which will be a buildup for the Asia Cup and an important stop in firming up their squad for the upcoming Men's ODI World Cup in India, Afghanistan brought back teenage spinner Noor Ahmad as they work out various combinations.

Noor's return means that there was no room for left-arm spinner Zia Ur Rahman Akbar, who recently made his ODI debut against Bangladesh, the squad to be led by Hashmatullah Shahidi.

Uncapped leg-spinner Izhar-ul-haq Naveed, who was part of the Test squad, has also been left out for the three matches that will be played on August 22, 24 and August 26.

Fast bowlers Mohammad Saleem Safi and Wafadar Momand, who were part of the recent ODI tour to Bangladesh, have successfully retained their spots in the squad for the series, the first two matches of which will be played at Hambantota while the third will be held in Colombo.

"Our whole concentration is to prepare the team for the upcoming two big events of Asia Cup and the World Cup 2023," ACB Chief Selector Asadullah Khan said. "This three-match ODI series against Pakistan provides us with a wonderful opportunity to prepare the team for the forthcoming two events."

"The preparations for the Pakistan series are progressing well. The players have recently performed well in the Kabul Camp, which has been supervised by ACB's HPC staff. The team will also undergo a week-long conditioning camp before the Pakistan series,” Asadullah was quoted as saying by ICC.

Afghanistan ODI squad: Hashmatullah Shahidi (C), Rahmanullah Gurbaz, Ikram Alikhil, Ibrahim Zadran, Riaz Hassan, Rahmat Shah, Najibullah Zadran, Mohammad Nabi, Azmatullah Omarzai, Rashid Khan, Noor Ahmad, Mujeeb Ur Rehman, Fazal Haq Farooqi, Abdul Rahman, Mohammad Saleem Safi and Wafadar Momand.

Reserves: Farid Ahmad Malik and Shahidullah Kamal.

Schedule for Pakistan's ODI series against Afghanistan:

Aug 22: First ODI, Hambantota

Aug 24: Second ODI, Hambantota

Aug 26: Third ODI, Colombo.