Zaman Akhter has impressed for England Lions in their ongoing match against Sri Lanka's Test side. Here is all you need to know about the pacer, who is a graduate of South Asian Cricket Academy.
In the first innings of Sri Lanka's tour match against the Lions, Akhter came on as the first-change pacer in the 12th over of the innings. He struck with his sixth delivery, removing opener Dimuth Karunaratne for 26. He then got rid of Nishan Madushka with his very next ball before picking up Kusal Mendis in his fourth over.
Akhter returned later in the innings to take the wickets of Milan Rathnayake and Lahiru Kumara, returning figures of 5-32 in 11.5 overs.
He may be little more than a step away from the England team, but even if he never gets there, Akhter will remain an unqualified success story for the South Asian Cricket Academy (SACA).
What is the SACA?
The SACA is an academy set up with the purpose of increasing South Asian representation in the English first-class system. The idea was partly inspired by Tom Brown of the Birmingham City University, whose research revealed a systemic lack of South Asian representation in English cricket. Akhter is almost a prototypical success story for the academy.
Read more: Inside the rise of the South Asian Cricket Academy
Born in Cambridge in March 1999, Akhter mainly played Minor Counties cricket for Cambridgeshire, and later Hertfordshire. During his time as a trialist, attempting to secure a county contract, he supported himself by working at Lord's – transporting alcohol from the stadium's storage rooms to its bars.
Is Zaman Akhter the real deal?
— Vitality County Championship (@CountyChamp) August 15, 2024
Gloucestershire's seamer took 5-32 on his England Lions debut against Sri Lanka. pic.twitter.com/EZCRWfeJ6y
From there, he grabbed his opportunities to play a few matches in 2022 for Essex and Derbyshire second XIs, before attending trials at Gloucestershire in 2023, during his time training at SACA. Akhter was offered a county contract in March that year, initially for one year before it was extended in November. He was the sixth graduate of the academy to secure a country contract (there are now ten).
Akhter's first-class numbers for Gloucestershire are less than impressive, it has to be said. 30 wickets in 14 matches is by no means a poor record, but his average of 43 can certainly be improved upon. He hit the headlines in April this year as he dismissed England stars Joe Root and Harry Brook while playing against Yorkshire. His pace, height and ability to extract bounce do make him an exciting player to watch.
The SACA says on their website that they plan to disband by 2028 in the hope that changes to the game will render the academy unnecessary. By that point in time, it is not unthinkable that the number of graduates playing county cricket could double – and maybe, just maybe, Zaman Akhter could be one of a select few in the England national team.
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