Latest news with #ZafarGohar
BBC News
17-05-2025
- Sport
- BBC News
Handscomb gives Leics the edge over Middlesex
Rothesay County Championship Division Two, Lord's (day two)Middlesex 232: Davies 49, Higgins 44; Holland 5-35 & 10-0Leicestershire 274: Handscomb 87, Holland 37, Green 36; Gohar 4-34Middlesex 3 pts trail Leicestershire 4 pts by 32 runsMatch scorecard Peter Handscomb returned to haunt his old county as Leicestershire kept their noses in front on an absorbing day two against Middlesex at Lord' made only two fifties in 21 innings over two seasons for the Seaxes, but added to his century here last season with a defiant 87. It marked his 100th score of 50 or more in first-class cricket, while Ian Holland (37) and Ben Green (36) lent support in stands of 93 and 59, respectively, to carry the visitors to Pakistan international spinner Zafar Gohar kept the hosts in touch with 4-34, but the missed stumping off his bowling which reprieved Handscomb on 54 may yet prove openers Sam Robson and Max Holden survived a nervy four overs before the close, reducing their arrears by 10 runs in the process. Leicestershire were initially bogged down as the new ball regularly whistled past both edges of the bat. Sol Budinger opted to counter-attack, depositing one from Dane Paterson over mid-on for six, but the former South African international reaped rapid vengeance, bowling him with a beauty which clipped Roland-Jones came on as the day's first change and struck with his second delivery as a lack of footwork and a tentative poke saw Rehan Ahmed inside-edge the ball onto his Naavya Sharma found Lewis Hill's edge in his opening over in first-class cricket, but the usually safe hands of Sam Robson grassed the chance at first slip. Hill though didn't make the most of the reprieve as Roland-Jones bowled him off the inside edge soon though, found an ally in Holland as the early afternoon developed into a game of patience, with 13 runs squeezed from 11 overs. A boundary took Handscomb to his landmark half-century, but he should have gone on 54 when wicketkeeper Jack Davies missed a stumping after charging Gohar. A huge lbw shout to the next delivery also went unheeded, after which Handscomb put on 93 with Holland before the all-rounder was bamboozled by one from Gohar which beat his defences and dislodged the was part of a lovely spell by the left-arm spinner either side of tea in which he also snared Ben Cox and Logan Van Beek, both leg 197-7, Middlesex were even scenting a narrow first-innings lead, but Green opened his shoulders, clubbing Hollman over the short new ball was dispatched with similar distain, a straight drive back past Roland Jones, one of the shots of the appeared to be inching towards his century, but was undone on Australia's unlucky number 87, lofting the first ball of Gohar's new spell to the hands of enterprising innings ended when he was pinned in front by Higgins, before Sharma returned to scatter Tom Scriven's stumps and claim the maiden first-class wicket he should have had earlier in the Reporters' Network supported by Rothesay
Express Tribune
05-05-2025
- Sport
- Express Tribune
Gohar eyes Eng debut after Pak snub
Former Pakistan spinner Zafar Gohar in action during the ongoing County Championship. Photo: AFP Former Pakistan spinner Zafar Gohar has emerged as a potential future England cricketer after a remarkable turnaround in his career - one that began with heartbreak and now promises redemption. Gohar, 30, is currently the most successful spinner in the ongoing County Championship, playing for Middlesex as a local player after securing British citizenship. Once seen as a rising talent in Pakistan, his international journey was disrupted by misfortune and lack of opportunities. Back in 2015, Gohar received a surprise call-up to the Pakistan Test squad as a replacement for injured leg-spinner Yasir Shah. He was playing a domestic match in Faisalabad when he was told to rush to Lahore for a 3 AM. flight to the UAE, where the team was playing England. However, he was exhausted, fell asleep and missed the flight. Speaking to British media, Gohar told, "It was a dream come true - to get a call to join the national team - but I was drained," he told British media. "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. That missed chance haunted him and although he later made two more appearances for Pakistan – in an ODI in 2015 and a Test in 2021, consistent opportunities never came. Despite strong county performances - including 47 wickets and 500 runs for Gloucestershire in 2022 - Gohar was told by Pakistan's then-chief selector that county cricket achievements did not matter in selection. Feeling sidelined, he decided to switch allegiance. With a British passport and no appearances for Pakistan in the last three years, Gohar is now eligible to play for England. He is already making a case, with 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. Pakistan rankings The International Cricket Council (ICC) has released its annual team rankings update, reflecting significant shifts across all three formats, with Pakistan slipping in the standings while Sri Lanka emerge as one of the biggest gainers. In the ICC Men's Test Team Rankings, reigning World Test Championship holders Australia continue to lead, maintaining their top spot with a rating of 126. However, their lead has slightly narrowed from 15 to 13 points following the annual update, which considers matches played since May 2024 at full value (100%) and those from the previous two years at 50%. England, under Ben Stokes, have surged into second place after a strong year in Test cricket, winning three out of their four series. Their rating now stands at 113, pushing South Africa (111) and India (105) down to third and fourth, respectively. The rest of the top 10 remains unchanged, with New Zealand at fifth, followed by Sri Lanka, Pakistan, West Indies, Bangladesh and Zimbabwe. Only 10 teams are currently ranked in Tests. Ireland must play one more Test within the next year to become eligible, while Afghanistan require three more matches to join the list. In ODI cricket, India have further solidified their position at the top following their title-winning campaign in the ICC Champions Trophy 2025. Their rating improved from 122 to 124. New Zealand, the Champions Trophy runners-up, moved into second place, overtaking Australia, who now sit third.
Daily Mail
03-05-2025
- Sport
- Daily Mail
EXCLUSIVE How a missed flight turned Pakistani spin bowler Zafar Gohar into an England contender
Zafar Gohar missed his chance of playing Test cricket against England because he overslept, but hopes time is now on his side after switching allegiance in a bid to join the Bazball revolution. Gohar, 30, is the most prolific spinner in the County Championship this season, one which began with him signing a declaration to play for England. He is featuring as a local cricketer for Middlesex after receiving a British passport and meets the ICC's eligibility criteria for changing countries as the second of his two caps for Pakistan came more than three years ago. The only thing left is confirmation of the date from which he becomes available. So, what led to the slow left-armer staying in the UK the past two winters to meet the 210-days-a-year residency requirement? The simple answer is: opportunity — and lack of it elsewhere. Disillusionment with Pakistani cricket stems back to a farcical episode in October 2015 when he was plucked from a domestic match to make his debut against Alastair Cook 's team as an injury replacement for Yasir Shah. So last-minute was the call, however, that he did not make it on to the field next day. 'I missed the flight,' Gohar tells Mail Sport. 'I was playing a four-day match in Faisalabad and at tea on the second day, they told me to go home to Lahore two hours away, grab my things, and wait for them to tell me when the flight to the UAE was, because in those days that is where Pakistan home matches were played. 'The flight was booked for 3am the next morning, but I needed a visa and the embassies were closed. I waited around until one o'clock for news and literally said to them, 'Look, I need to sleep'. I was told to go to bed and keep my phone with me, but I couldn't wake up. I was just so tired. Next morning, they put everything on me. 'To be fair, it was a dream come true in that moment, at the age of 20, so I felt very low for the next few weeks, but after speaking to different mentors and my family, I decided to just keep quiet about what happened. Now, I am pretty comfortable to speak about it.' The next disappointment followed a month later. Visa issued, Gohar dismissed Alex Hales and Joe Root in the third one-day international, returning respectable figures of 10-0-54-2 in a six-wicket defeat. He was never picked in the format again. His only other appearance for Pakistan came in 2021 when picked as an all-rounder at Christchurch, scoring 71 runs with the bat, but going wicketless. Then he got the news he did not want to hear. Gohar continues: 'The new chief selector, Mohammad Wasim, rang me, saying, 'I think you need time'. I was like, not again. You need time after only one game? In 2022 I got 47 wickets for Gloucestershire in the Championship, and 500 runs, and I was player of the year. When I went back and played in Pakistan, I took my total of five-fors to seven in one year, playing 14 first-class games. 'But the chief selector said, 'I don't care how well you do in county cricket or anywhere, because I don't consider those performances when I am picking players'. 'It was heartbreaking. Imagine you're trying to play international cricket, and you get told they don't care whatever you do, you're not going to get picked. I'd heard England was the toughest place for spinners to get wickets but I got wickets. That was the point I decided, right, I'm going to take my chance. I know it's a big, big ask to get picked for England, but I love challenges.' It was with his father, Ali, that he would stay up late watching the 2005 Ashes as a 10-year-old. Now, he calls Lord's, where that iconic series began, home. So welcome did Gloucestershire make him feel over four seasons as an overseas player that he did not want to leave, but now says of his move to Middlesex: 'It was the best decision I made in my life. I grew up thinking about this place. It's like a heaven in cricket.' His 15 wickets for Middlesex at an average of 29 put him four ahead of the field when it came to spinners during the first four weeks of the 2025 Championship. A career batting average of 23 will also count in his favour should the selectors consider Gohar in the same way as Rob Key, the ECB's men's director of cricket, said they would Surrey's recently qualified Australian, Dan Worrall. And Gohar feels ready, saying: 'Pitches in Pakistan are much slower and flatter, so we have to be so good with our line and length and variations. If you bowl in tough situations, you learn a lot, so even at this time of year I don't see much trouble bowling in England. 'When I was young, I got told I was very talented, but it was too early in my 20s to play international cricket, that spinners always grow up in their late 20s. So, I reckon I've just hit the perfect age.'
