��������

KABUL: Rashid Khan will lead a spin-heavy Afghanistan at the next month’s Asia Cup with uncapped mystery spinner AM Ghazanfar also named in the 17-member Twenty20 squad on Sunday.
Khan was named captain and is joined by Noor Ahmad, Mujeeb Ur Rahman and Mohammad Nabi as the other seasoned spinners for the Sept. 9-28 tournament in the United Arab Emirates, where pitches are expected to help slow bowlers at Dubai and Abu Dhabi.
Afghanistan hasn’t played a T20 since beating Zimbabwe in December last year. Afghanistan will tune-up for the Asia Cup by playing a triangular series which begins at Sharjah from Aug. 29 and also features UAE and Pakistan.
Ghazanfar hasn’t played a T20 international but has impressed in his brief ODI career, grabbing two five-wicket hauls in 11 games. He’s been playing in a number of T20 leagues around the world — notably the Indian Premier League.
Fazalhaq Farooqi, Azmatullah Omarzai, Naveen Ul Haq and Gulbadin Naib are the four pace bowling options in the Afghanistan squad.
The return of Zadran strengthens its batting line-up with Rahmanullah Gurbaz and Sediqullah Atal providing firepower upfront with Karim Janat and Zadran in the middle-order.
Afghanistan is placed in a tougher Group B along with Bangladesh, Hong Kong and Sri Lanka. India, Pakistan, Oman and UAE are in Group A. Afghanistan will take on Hong Kong in the opening game of the tournament at Abu Dhabi on Sept. 9.
___
Squad: Rashid Khan (captain), Rahmanullah Gurbaz, Ibrahim Zadran, Darwish Rasooli, Sediqullah Atal, Azmatullah Omarzai, Karim Janat, Mohammad Nabi, Gulbadin Naib, Sharafuddin Ashraf, Mohammad Ishaq, Mujeeb Ur Rahman, AM Ghazanfar, Noor Ahmad, Fareed Ahmad, Naveen Ul Haq, Fazalhaq Farooqi
Reserves: Wafiullah Tarakhil, Nangeyalia Kharote, Abdullah Ahmadzai

Russian Diana Shnaider continued her impressive winning streak in tour-level finals at the Monterrey Open on Saturday, beating compatriot Ekaterina Alexandrova 6-4 4-6 6-4 in the WTA 500 event’s final.
Shnaider had little trouble in the opening set but struggled in a topsy-turvy second, as Alexandrova clinched the set’s fifth and decisive break at 5-4 to force a decider.
Third seed Shnaider carved out an advantage early on in the third set when she broke Alexandrova in the first game and held serve to go 2-0 up, an advantage she would not relinquish.
World number 12 Shnaider is now unbeaten in her last five finals on the WTA Tour, adding the Monterrey crown to her triumphs in Hong Kong, Budapest, Bad Homburg and Hua Hin last year.
The win also saw Shnaider level her head-to-head record with Alexandrova, who was faced with a quick turnaround for the final after her semifinal against Czech Marie Bouzkova was moved from Friday to Saturday due to a rain-enforced suspension.
Both players will have little time to rest after the final before they make the nearly 2,000 mile journey from Monterrey to New York to play in the first round of the US Open, which begins on Sunday.
Shnaider will face Germany’s Laura Siegemund, while Alexandrova takes on Anastasija Sevastova of Latvia.