Tag: Zafar Gohar

KARACHI: Ghani Glass left-arm spinner Zafar Gohar picked up a six-wicket haul to dismantle Khan Research Laboratories (KRL) batting line-up in the sixth round of the President’s Cup Grade-I fixture here at the KCCA Stadium on Thursday.

Zafar Gohar wreaked havoc with the ball, taking outstanding figures of six for 21 in 10 overs, bowling two maidens to restrict KRL to 165 all out in 41.2 overs as they fell 35 runs short.

KRL’s spectacular collapse included losing all ten wickets for a mere 42 runs after Shahzaib Khan 52 off 72b, 5x4s, 2x6s) and Saad Baig (45, 52b, 5x4s, 1×6) had put on a 107-run opening stand.

Apart from Zafar’s career best List A figures, skipper Noman Ali chipped in with two wickets, while Mohammad Rameez Jnr and Ubaid Shah struck once each.

Ghani Glass too suffered a batting collapse of 98-9 from being 102-1 to 200 all out after being put in to bat first by KRL.

Following Yahya Bin Abdul Rehman’s early departure, Sharjeel Khan (58, 48b, 4x4s, 4x6s) and Mohsin Riaz (32, 39b, 2x4s, 2x6s) stitched an 85-run stand.

Tayyab Tahir (33, 42b, 3x4s), Hussain Talat (26, 35b, 3x4s), and Hammad Butt (20, 48b) got starts but were unable to convert them.

Follow us on our Official WhatsApp channel

For KRL, left-arm wrist-spinner Sufyan Moqim picked up a four-wicket haul.

Meanwhile, Oil and Gas Development Company Limited (OGDCL) registered their sixth win on the trot as they beat Sahir Associates by three wickets at the UBL Sports Complex.

OGDCL chased the 279-run target set by Sahir Associates with 27 balls to spare, with  Danish Aziz unbeaten on 55 off 59 balls with the help of five fours and one six.

Danish had put on a 65-run stand for the sixth wicket with Umar Siddiq, who changed the tempo of the chase with a 33-ball 40, hitting five fours and a solitary six.

For Sahir Associates, Faham-ul-Haq picked up two wickets for 20 runs in six overs, including two maidens.

For the unversed, the last and seventh round of the tournament will take place on Saturday, 20 December at the same venues, with the National Bank Stadium and Naya Nazimabad Ground games being day-night fixtures.

READ: Meeting called after Pakistan kabaddi player represents ‘India’

LONDON: Former Pakistan spinner Zafar Gohar has emerged as a potential future cricketer for England following his impressive performances in County cricket.

30-year-old Zafar is currently the top-performing spinner in the ongoing County Championship. He represents Middlesex after obtaining British citizenship.

Once considered a promising talent in Pakistan, his international career faced hurdles due to unfortunate circumstances and limited opportunities.

In 2015, Gohar received an unexpected call to join the Pakistan Test squad as a replacement for the injured leg-spinner Yasir Shah.

While he was engaged in a domestic match in Faisalabad, he was instructed to rush to Lahore for a 3 AM flight to the UAE, where the team was set to face England. However, feeling exhausted, he fell asleep and unfortunately missed the flight.

In an interview with the British media, Gohar recalled the incident, mentioning that he had waited until late night for travel details.

“I waited until late at night for travel details, then was told to rest. I could not wake up in time. The next morning, they blamed everything on me. I was devastated,” he explained.

Follow us on our Official WhatsApp channel

Although he made two additional appearances for Pakistan—one ODI in 2015 and a Test in 2021—he struggled to find consistent opportunities.

Despite impressive county cricket performances, including 47 wickets and 500 runs for Gloucestershire in 2022, the then-chief selector of Pakistan informed him that success in county cricket held no weight in team selection.

After being snubbed from selection, Gohar decided to switch allegiances. With a British passport and no appearances for Pakistan in the past three years, Gohar is now eligible to play for England.

He is already proving his worth, having taken 15 wickets in the first four rounds of the 2025 County Championship season.

“I think I have just reached my prime, and I feel ready to take on this new challenge,” he stated.

“I had heard England was the toughest place for spinners to get wickets but I got wickets. That was the point I decided, right, I am going to take my chance. I know it is a big, big ask to get picked for England, but I love challenges,” he concluded.

READ: Babar Azam hails Saim Ayub as game changer after knock against Multan Sultans