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Afghanistan’s 18-year-old mystery spinner Allah Ghazanfar has been awarded by the Afghanistan Cricket Board (ACB) for his outstanding performance in the recent ODI series against Zimbabwe.
The Afghan side are currently playing an all-flag, multi-format series in Zimbabwe. After whitewashing Zimbabwe in the three-match T20I and three-match ODI series, the Afghanistan cricket team is ready to take on the hosts in the two-match Test series.
The first Test will be held on December 26 at the Queens Sports Club in Bulawayo, which will also host the second and final Test between the two teams from January 2, 2025.
Allah Ghazanfar named in maiden Test squad after impressive performance in ODI series against Zimbabwe
Meanwhile, Allah Ghazanfar, who is yet to make his T20I debut, performed brilliantly in the recently concluded three-match ODI series against Zimbabwe Cricket Team. The enigmatic spinner shone brightly as Afghanistan swept the ODI series 2-0 and were eliminated in the first ODI at Harare Sports Club.
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Ghazanfar finished the ODI series with 9 scalps at an impressive average of 5.22 against Zimbabwe. Just a day before the opener of the two-Test series against Zimbabwe in Bulawayo, his stellar ODI performance earned him a call-up to the Test squad for the first time.
Now, the young spinner has taken the cricket world by storm with his stellar bowling performances in domestic cricket, taking 29 wickets in 16 T20 games and 25 in 15 A-level matches. wickets and now he is ready for his first Test.
On December 25, the Afghanistan Cricket Board (ACB) added Allah Ghazanfar to the Test squad for the two-match Test series against Zimbabwe. “Squad update! AM Ghazanfar has joined the Afghanistan squad for the two-Test series against Zimbabwe, with the first match scheduled to begin in Bulawayo tomorrow,” ACB said in an official statement.
🚨 Lineup updated! 🚨
AM Ghazanfar has joined the Afghanistan squad for the two-Test series against Zimbabwe, with the first match scheduled to begin in Bulawayo tomorrow. 👍#AfghanistanAttaran | #ZIMvAFG | #GloriousNationVictoriousTeam pic.twitter.com/fR5KRHqeSS
— Afghanistan Cricket Board (@ACBofficials) December 25, 2024
Afghanistan Test Team in Zimbabwe Series:
Hashmatullah Shahidi (C), Rahmat Shah (VC), Ikram Alikhail (WK), Afsar Zazai (WK), Riaz Hassan, Sediqullah Atal, Zahir Khan, Zia Ur Rehman Akbar, Zahir Shehzad, Rashid Khan, Abdul Malik, Baheer Shah Mahboob , Ismat Alam, Azmatullah Omarzai, Yameen Ahmedzai, Bashir Ahmed Afghanistan, Navid Zadran, Fari De Ahmed Malik and Allah Ghazanfar.
Allah Ghazanfar’s journey is as impressive as his bowling
Notably, Allah Ghazanfar has so far played 11 ODI matches for Afghanistan, taking 21 wickets with an average of 13.57 and an economy rate of 4.05. In November 2024, the Afghanistan spinner hit the headlines after winning the jackpot in the IPL 2025 auction, with five-time champions Mumbai Indians buying him for Rs 480 crore.
Allah started his cricketing journey in 2020 even though his father was against the idea. His father believed academics were more important than sports and that it was a waste of time as cricket was not well understood in their community.
Initially, Alaa served as a pacer but his coach Roze Khan saw his potential as a spin bowler and encouraged him to focus on spin bowling and he soon became a proficient spin bowler and even gave The early Afghan cricket star left a lasting impression.
