Teenager mystery spinner, Allah Mohammad Ghazanfar took three wickets in the opening ODI between Afghanistan and South Africa today (September 18). Here's all you need to know about Afghanistan's latest young spin super star.
Ghazanfar was playing in his third ODI after he made his debut earlier this year against Ireland. Despite playing two matches in that series he did not take a wicket, returning figures of 0-34 off six overs and 0-13 off four in each match. It didn't take him long to claim his maiden wicket against South Africa, however.
He opened the bowling, taking the second over of the innings after Fazalhaq Farooqi conceded eight off the first, and bowled tidily, with just three runs coming off the over. He came back on for the fourth, after Fazalhaq had dismissed Reeza Hendricks off the last ball of the third. Five runs came off that over, and only a single came off his next. By the time he came on for his fourth over, South Africa were in trouble at 29-3, Farooqi having struck in each of his previous three overs.
Bowling to Tristan Stubbs who had yet to get off the mark, Ghazanfar sent him down one on off stump that turned away, with Stubbs getting an outside edge which ricocheted off Rahmanullah Gurbaz's pads before being safely caught by Mohammad Nabi. After that wicket, Ghazanfar sent down four dots to debutant Jason Smith, before getting his second wicket with the last ball of the over, making it a double-wicket maiden. Having set him up sending down a mixture of variations turning both ways in the four preceding balls, he pitched the last ball of the over outside off and turning back in, beating Smith completely and rattling his stumps.
He also dismissed Kyle Verreynne with the second ball of his next over, again confusing him over which way the ball would turn, and beating his inside edge with one that turned in again, pinning him lbw this time. That wicket, along with Phehlukwayo being run out off the last ball of that over, meant that South Africa reached the end of the powerplay seven down, and Ghazanfar had figures of 3-9 from his first five.
After that wicket, he continued to bowl unchanged for the rest of his allocation. While he didn't take any more wickets, he kept a miserly run rate. Only one run each came off his sixth, seventh and eighth overs, while he only conceded one boundary in his ten. He finished with figures of 3-20 off 10, with 41 dot balls.
Who is Allah Mohammad Ghazanfar?
Ghazanfar first came to international attention in the U19 World Cup earlier this year. He took eight wickets at 16.75 in the competition, following which he was called-up to Afghanistan's senior side for their tour of Ireland in March. He was then signed by KKR for the 2024 IPL, replacing his compatriot Mujeeb Ur Rahman after the latter was ruled out of the tournament with a finger sprain.
He was born in the Paktia province of Afghanistan before he was signed by the Mis Ainak Knights, one of the eight regional first-class sides in Afghanistan. Through his performances for the side, he became known for spinning the ball both ways as a finger spinner. In an interview earlier this year with Sportstar, he said he took inspiration from R Ashwin for his variations.
"Ashwin has been a champion spinner for India," the teenager said. "I like his variations. I have always considered him my inspiration. I started with tennis ball cricket and would play in my neighbourhood, but under the guidance of my coach, I started bowling spin, and soon I developed an action. There hasn't been any looking back since."
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