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Steven Taylor’s decision to drop out of the USA squad for the World T20 Qualifier in favour of a CPL contract has once again raised questions on the development path for Associate players in USA

Peter Della Penna23-Jun-2015Wicketkeeper-batsman Steven Taylor’s decision to pull out of the USA squad for the forthcoming World Twenty20 Qualifier in favour of a Caribbean Premier League contract with Barbados Tridents should not come as a surprise. It does, however, raise questions on the development path for an Associate player in the USA, and how the players perceive their future within the system.In the summer of 2013, Taylor had traveled to Jamaica for a training stint with a local club where he told a local media outlet that his dream was to play for West Indies. Taylor, one of the few USA players born and brought up in America, is not the first one to have ambitions of playing for a Full Member. New Jersey’s Cameron Mirza, who was the MVP of the ICC Americas Under-19s Division One in 2011, stated not long after that tournament that he was going to university in the UK with an aim to qualify for England on residency and pursue a dream of playing for them. Former USA U-19s captain Greg Sewdial, who made his USA senior team debut at 16, was born to Guyanese immigrants and raised in New York also stated in an interview that his goal was to play for West Indies one day.There is no proper development structure or career path as an Associate player in the USA for these players to aspire to. In order to be a professional player, it is only natural to look overseas. The limited opportunities to play for USA will only shrink further after next year when the ICC World T20 – the format so many people claim is the gateway to future popularity in the American market – goes from being a biennial event to being played once every four years.In that sense, the financial aspect of Taylor’s decision is significant. Taylor, now 21, dropped out of high school at 19 before completing his senior year, and does not have a regular job like other USA players. His main source of income comes from games in weekend T20 tournaments for private club teams scattered around country. The payment from Tridents, no matter how small, would have been an incentive compared to the stipend for touring with USA.Part of this also is a failure of the USA Cricket Association and their inability to stick to commitments made to players. Former USACA chief executives Don Lockerbie and Darren Beazley had laid out plans to turn USA’s players professional with central contracts, which never materialised. Taylor was part of a USA team that won the WCL Division Four in 2010 in Italy after which they were told they would receive a championship bonus from the board. The players are still waiting for the reward.After formally announcing a pair of preparation camps in Jamaica for the USA national team ahead of the ICC Americas Qualifier in May and then prior to their departure for Ireland, neither one has happened. USA’s players are routinely put under pressure by being asked to show up without any preparation against teams that are similarly talented but have far better support mechanisms in place.Taylor has also developed a very beneficial relationship with Robin Singh, after the latter took over as coach and technical director of USA’s various national teams in 2011. Their familiarity could have played a role in Taylor being assigned to Barbados Tridents, a team Singh coaches, for a CPL tryout following a December camp with an ICC Americas development squad. Taylor secured a full contract with the franchise, while Canada’s Nikhil Dutta, who was also among the shortlisted players from the development squad, won a contract with St Kitts and Nevis Patriots.Singh’s connection could present a conflict of interest. He has been working for USACA for the last four years to help raise the standard of the USA national team. Last week, five USA players, including Taylor joined a Tridents training camp on Singh’s invitation as part of their own preparation ahead of the World T20 Qualifier. Taylor’s decision to withdraw, however, has crippled USA’s chances of succeeding in Ireland, with the side deprived of their batting leader.Another issue is Taylor’s playing role with the Tridents compared to his status with the USA squad. Taylor is USA’s marquee player, one of the most feared big hitters in the Associate world and would have been assured of opening the batting in every game he played. Now he has gone from being the first name on the team sheet to, in all likelihood, riding the bench for Tridents. If the goal is for Taylor to continue developing his game and get better experience in different conditions, it might be better served by being on the field consistently instead of being limited to net sessions and watching from the sidelines.In the end, though, if spending one season on the Tridents bench as an apprentice is parlayed into several seasons in the starting XI, Taylor’s decision would seem wise. That it comes in the week that the ICC is deciding on USACA’s fate at the annual conference in Barbados also serves as a wake-up call to where the players see the future of cricket in the country heading.

Bayern Munich wonderkid Mathys Tel could be on his way out in January with VfB Stuttgart pondering a loan move.

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Tel could exit Bayern MunichStuttgart interested in the forwardHasn't been a regular under Vincent KompanyFollow GOAL on WhatsApp! 🟢📱WHAT HAPPENED?

German publication BILD have reported that Bayern Munich forward Mathys Tel could be heading towards a January exit from the Allianz Arena, with Stuttgart seemingly interested in acquiring him on loan should certain conditions be met.

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Tel has played only 224 minutes across seven appearances in all competitions this season, which includes just two starts. After a breakout 2023-24 season, Tel was expected to take a leap under new manager Vincent Kompany. However, his progression as one of the jewels of the team has stalled this campaign, which has opened the doors to a possible loan move in the upcoming winter transfer window.

DID YOU KNOW?

Tel had signed a contract extension until 2029 in March earlier this year. But recent developments point towards a future away from Munich. As a consequence of Tel failing to find his feet under Kompany, the Bavarians are now looking for a successor for Harry Kane, who will turn 32 next summer.

GettyWHAT NEXT?

If Tel does indeed join Stuttgart — or any other club on loan for that matter — it could help him rekindle his career at the Allianz Arena in the future. Having regular minutes under his belt and playing under a coach who could show immaculate faith in the player could just prove to be what the Frenchman was missing in the past three to four months.

Aaron Finch praised the coach for tackling the issues “head on”

Andrew McGlashan01-Jul-2021Justin Langer addressed the “confronting” team reviews that led to talk of unrest in the Australia dressing room before the limited-overs squad departed for West Indies with a greater use of an expanded team of assistant coaches one of the key recommendations.Reports emerged in newspapers after the Test series defeat against India that there were tensions behind closed doors, which was followed up by end-of-season reviews conducted with leadership consultant Tim Ford who had been involved with the return of David Warner and Steven Smith after their bans in 2019. But given the challenges created by Covid-19 last weekend’s camp on the Gold Coast was the first time Langer had the chance to address a full squad.Related

Defeats, bubbles and absent players: how Australia threatened to unravel

Paine vows players will work with Langer following emergency talks

Finch: IPL return 'hard to justify' for Australia players missing tours

Finch refocuses on T20 World Cup build-up despite tour disruptions

Australia's T20 shake-up – who has the most to gain?

Those heading to the West Indies were joined by others from outside the white-ball group, including Test captain Tim Paine, while New South Wales-based players were involved remotely due to the lockdown in Sydney.”Over the couple of days on the Gold Coast we had a great camp…the ability for JL to address a few issues that came up in the review with Tim Ford, that was brilliant from him to tackle them head on, suppose put his side of the story, that shows the quality of the man he is and things he’s working on,” limited-overs captain Aaron Finch said from St Lucia.”We are all behind him 100%, the way he’s coached Australia in the last couple of years has been fantastic, think we’ve had some really good success. No doubt it was quite confronting for him at the time but he took it head on and it was great. Very positive from our point of view.”The intense nature of how Langer goes about his work was understood to be one of key issues raised in the reviews although there was an understanding of the trying circumstances created by bubble life.Graeme Hick departed as batting coach amid the cost-cutting created by the pandemic last year, but Michael Di Venuto and Jeff Vaughan were announced as new assistant coaches on Thursday joining Andrew McDonald, who took charge of the T20 tour of New Zealand earlier this year when Langer had been due to head to South Africa, as Langer’s support.Justin Langer has not gathered a full squad since early in the year•Getty ImagesDi Venuto, who was previously the team’s batting coach, is currently with the squad in West Indies and will join full-time for the home season alongside Vaughan after he stepped down as Tasmania coach.”Think there was a combination of a few things,” Finch said on changes to approach. “On the back of a lot of bubbles as well think he could have used his assistants a little better and delegated in that regard but there was nothing groundbreaking. It was stuff every player and every coach would reflect on themselves. The way he confronted that and the way it was received by the players was outstanding.”Finch and Langer do not have a full-strength squad available to them for the series against West Indies and Bangladesh (the latter yet to have the biosecure plans confirmed) following the withdrawal players due to bubble fatigue.While Finch has admitted that it isn’t an ideal situation leading into the T20 World Cup in four months he knows Australia are not alone with such a challenge and it is likely to remain that way for some time.”We are going to have to manage players a little differently over the coming 12-24 months, however long the way cricket is,” he said. “So while it’s not the perfect preparation we are not alone in that and it will give an opportunity to continue to develop our depth and find some more solutions.”A further challenge for Australia is that there is the mandatory two weeks quarantine whenever they return to the country. To highlight the logistical jigsaw puzzle, there are only 13 days between the T20 World Cup final on November 14 and the scheduled opening day of the one-off Test against Afghanistan in Hobart on November 27.It may require Cricket Australia to gain further exemptions from the government for players from both sides to take part inside their mandatory quarantine period. However, Finch made it very clear that no first-choice T20 players would be left out of Australia’s squad.”The T20 World Cup is an international event, the one piece of [limited-overs] silverware that was eluded us. They’ll be no management for Test cricket, I can tell you that much.”The story was updated with news of the coaching appointments

European heavyweights Real Madrid are said to be targeting another "special" Tottenham prodigy after their reported interest in star defender Cristian Romero.

Real Madrid show interest in signing Romero from Spurs

Last month, Real started to become heavily linked with a move to sign Romero, as they seek to bolster Carlo Ancelotti's central defensive options ahead of defending their Champions League and La Liga titles.

Postecoglou really wants £35 million star at Tottenham with talks ongoing

The Australian is personally eyeing a move.

1 ByEmilio Galantini Jul 9, 2024

Reputable media sources like American broadcaster ESPN, via The Daily Mail, claimed Real made an enquiry to Tottenham over Romero – coming after another impressive season in the Premier League.

The 26-year-old was a mainstay under Ange Postecoglou when fit and available, starting 33 league games and forming the backbone of Spurs' team through his partnership with Micky van de Ven.

Romero stood out as one of Tottenham's best-performing players by average match rating, according to statistical football website WhoScored, and sits in good company alongside the likes of Son Heung-min and Pedro Porro.

Son Heung-min

7.30

James Maddison

7.17

Pedro Porro

7.04

Cristian Romero

7.03

Dejan Kulusevski

6.96

Interestingly, this isn't the first time his name has been mentioned in tandem with the Spainish football giants, as Real were reportedly eyeing a move for Romero in 2023 as well.

When a prestigious club like Real Madrid comes knocking for a star player, there is usually cause for concern, but Tottenham have responded with gusto – making clear that Romero is not for sale this summer (Pete O'Rourke).

“If we’re talking about Real Madrid, I’m sure he’ll want to speak to them,” said pundit Alan Hutton on Romero's links to the Bernabeu (Football Insider).

“But for Daniel Levy to sell somebody who’s a main player in the team, it would have to be for huge money to allow him to go. They still need more options to come in.

“They can’t allow Romero to leave and not have a top-level centre-back ready to come in for the start of the season. I wouldn’t want to see him leave. I think him and Van de Ven are a very solid partnership and Van de Ven makes him better as well.”

Reports surrounding Romero and a potential move to Real have died down in recent weeks, but that hasn't stopped Ancelotti's side from setting their sights on another Spurs gem.

Real Madrid eyeing Tottenham starlet Mikey Moore

According to HITC, Real Madrid are interested in signing Tottenham starlet Mikey Moore, alongside the likes of Paris-Saint Germain.

The wonderkid is fast gaining a reputation as one of England's brightest young forwards, racking up 16 goals and registering nine assists in 14 appearances at academy level last season.

Moore was given the nod by Postecoglou on two occasions at senior level last season, making his debut at home to Man City. Amidst this interest from Real and PSG, HITC state that Spurs are confident they can keep hold of the 16-year-old, despite contact from some of Europe's biggest clubs.

“He is a special talent,” said an unnamed former Spurs youth-team coach to The Athletic. “He has great technique. It’s hard (to compare him). He’s like a throwback player. In terms of his skill and ability, he is a bit like (former Tottenham and Morocco forward) Adel Taarabt.”

The visitors are currently 12th on the ODI Super League table with no wins in four games

Andrew Fidel Fernando24-May-2021Big Picture
Senior players. Who needs ’em? Bangladesh would argue they do. Although Sri Lanka had their batting line-up stuttering at 99 for 4 in the first ODI on Sunday, Mushfiqur Rahim and Mahmudullah called upon their combined 418 ODIs worth of experience, and plotted Bangladesh’s way out of trouble and eventually to a position of comfort. Earlier, Tamim Iqbal also struck a fifty.Sri Lanka, however, have jettisoned several of their senior players, leaving out Angelo Mathews, and prompting Thisara Perera to retire. Clearly, Sri Lanka’s think-tank – coach Mickey Arthur, the selectors, director of cricket Tom Moody and the technical committee headed by Aravinda de Silva – have their eyes firmly set on the future, in naming this young squad, and issuing contracts that reward future potential.Related

'We know that the job is not done' – Iqbal after Bangladesh snap ten-match winless streak

BCB president Hassan slams Bangladesh's mentality after 'very ugly' dismissals

Mushfiqur, Miraz give Bangladesh 1-0 lead despite Hasaranga heroics

Perera: Contract concerns on our minds but priority is to win the series

Domingo wants Bangladesh 'to stick to basics and not try anything fancy'

But they also need to win ODIs in the short term. Right now, Sri Lanka are 12th out of 12 in the ODI Super League, having lost all four matches so far. To be fair, it is not as if seniors were certain to give them a greater chance of victory – Sri Lanka’s ODI form was poor even when more experienced players were in the mix. But now that Sri Lanka have committed to this new strategy, they need wins quickly to stop the pressure piling up, not just on players but decision-makers as well.Bangladesh, meanwhile, go into the second ODI in Dhaka on Tuesday with the afterglow of a comprehensive victory – one in which an old formula worked for them. Not only did the big-name stars make runs, their lead spinner ruined the opposition’s chase, and Mustafizur Rahman was also outstanding, even if those cutters have lost their fizz. Short turnarounds also tend to assist the team that won the previous match.Form guide
Sri Lanka LLLLW (completed matches, most recent first)
Bangladesh WLLLWKusal Mendis needs runs to justify his return to national colours after being dropped from all formats earlier this year•AFP/Getty ImagesIn the spotlight
Of the three half-centuries that built Bangladesh’s total on Sunday, Mushfiqur Rahim’s 84 was easily the most fluent. He scored at nearly a run a ball, but rarely appeared rushed, hitting just four fours and a six in the 87 balls he faced. He was a master of manipulation, waltzing across the crease to find space on the leg side, or backing away to hit to the off side, while occasionally coming down the pitch to change the spinners’ lengths. Although there are questions still over his keeping (particularly as Liton Das is also in the XI), Rahim also had a good game with the gloves.Earlier this year, Kusal Mendis was dropped from all formats on account of his woeful Test returns. In ODIs, his form actually hadn’t been that bad – he’d averaged 55.33 in his six most recent innings before this series (though those innings came a while back, before the pandemic). Still, he needs runs, and he needs them fast, if he is to justify not just his return to national colours, but also his elevation to the vice-captaincy.Team news
Bangladesh are unlikely to mess with their winning XI.Bangladesh (probable): 1 Tamim Iqbal (capt), 2 Liton Das, 3 Shakib Al Hasan, 4 Mushfiqur Rahim (wk), 5 Mohammad Mithun, 6 Mahmudullah, 7 Afif Hossain, 8 Mohammad Saifuddin, 9 Mehidy Hasan, 10 Taskin Ahmed, 11 Mustafizur RahmanSri Lanka may think about swapping out one of the top-order batters for Niroshan Dickwella, who was good in the intra-squad practice game.Sri Lanka (probable): 1 Danushka Gunathilaka, 2 Kusal Perera (capt & wk), 3 Niroshan Dickwella, 4 Kusal Mendis, 5 Pathum Nissanka, 6 Dhananjaya de Silva, 7 Dasun Shanaka, 8 Wanindu Hasaranga, 9 Isuru Udana, 10 Lakshan Sandakan, 11 Dushmantha ChameeraPitch and conditions
A cyclone in the Bay of Bengal on Monday evening may see Dhaka endure a rainy 24 hours, which could impact not just ground conditions, but also interrupt the match. Another slow surface is expected.Stats and trivia
Four Bangladesh players from Sunday’s XI have played 195 ODIs or more – Mahmudullah (195), Shakib (210), Iqbal (214) and Rahim (225). Sri Lanka’s most experienced player was Kusal Perera, with 102 matches.Bangladesh have never won a bilateral ODI series against Sri Lanka. Although Sri Lanka’s overall ODI record in Mirpur is good (18 wins to eight losses), they have lost three of their last six matches at the venue.

Glasgow Rangers summer transfer activity so far has proved that Philippe Clement is keen on undertaking a rebuild at Ibrox.

So far, five players have been released, as Borna Barisic, John Lundstram, Ryan Jack, Kemar Roofe and Jon McLaughlin were told they wouldn’t be getting extensions at the end of last season.

It is clear Clement isn’t bowing down to sentiment, as letting those five go for nothing has saved the club over £80k-per-week in wages, a remarkable amount which could go towards much better options ahead of next season.

The likes of Jefte, Oscar Cortes and Connor Barron have already joined, bringing the average age of the squad down substantially, as the Belgian manager and Nils Koppen are clearly focusing on building the team full of young talents, supplemented by the odd experienced player.

Barron is a good example of the club recruiting smartly from a club in the same division. Not only does the youngster have experience of playing in the Premiership, but he is young enough to develop into a better player by joining Rangers.

Could Clement follow up this signing by making another move for a striker who shone in the Scottish top flight last term?

Rangers eye move for SPFL centre-forward

According to the Athletic, Rangers are showing interest in signing Motherwell sensation Theo Bair this summer, joining Celtic as keen admirers of the player.

The report also states that several teams in Germany are also emerging as possible destinations for the striker should he look to move away from Well.

Mohamed Diomande

22

Nordsjaelland

Hamza Igamane

21

AS FAR

Connor Barron

21

Aberdeen

Oscar Cortes

20

RC Lens

Jefte

20

Fluminense

Clinton Nsiala

20

AC Milan

In the past, the Light Blues, especially during Walter Smith’s two spells in charge, used to add in one or two players from the top flight along with a few marquee names.

This hasn’t happened under the likes of Michael Beale and Giovanni van Bronckhorst, as the Gers have gone down the route of splashing money and wages on players from elsewhere.

The signing of Barron from Aberdeen could be the catalyst for Clement to use his funds wisely and sign players who have knowledge of the Premiership, allowing them to settle in far quicker than those who come from abroad.

Theo Bair’s season in numbers for Motherwell

The 6 foot 3 machine joined the Steelmen from St Johnstone in the summer of 2023, yet the move looked like a bit of a gamble from their perspective.

In 31 matches for the Saints, Bair managed to score just one goal, adding three assists, hardly the goal ratio that Motherwell required to keep them away from the relegation zone.

The 24-year-old went on to prove the doubters wrong during his debut season for the club. Not only did he score 15 goals in all competitions, but the Canadian also chipped in with six assists too, showing that he offers more than just a predatory threat in front of goal.

His 21 goals and assists last season saw Bair rank first among his teammates in the Premiership, while he also ranked first for shots on target per game (0.8), fourth for key passes per game (0.9), fourth for big chances created (six) and sixth for successful dribbles per game (0.6), showing evidence that he can offer a well-rounded threat to the opposition goal in the final third.

His performances and stats may not be earth-shattering, but considering Motherwell finished the 2023/24 season in ninth place, scoring just 56 goals in total, Bair’s 15 goals accounted for 27% of their entire total in the top flight.

He saved some of his best performances for the big matches, including in Rangers' 2-1 defeat to the Steelmen in March.

Theo Bair's performance vs Rangers

Motherwell had lost their previous two league encounters with the Ibrox side prior to the third meeting of the 2023/24 season.

Rangers hadn’t lost domestically in 2024 coming into the clash and Clement had brought the Light Blues back into a title challenge that was fading just six months before.

Against a defence consisting of Connor Goldson and John Souttar, however, Bair was an absolute menace. He scored the opener after just nine minutes, slotting home a pass from striker partner Jack Vale, who exploited a mistake by Souttar.

Aside from the goal, Bair also made one key pass, succeeded with 50% of his dribble attempts and took three shots in total, clearly unaffected by the raucous Ibrox atmosphere that day.

Clement is desperate for a striker who not only scores regularly but can cause mayhem among opposition defences. Bair certainly fits the bill and the manager must surely have that performance in Glasgow on his mind as he weighs up whether to bring the 24-year-old to Ibrox this summer.

Bair currently in action at Copa America

His goalscoring feats last term were rewarded with a call-up to the Canadian side for the 2024 Copa América.

He made his debut way back in 2020, scoring on his debut against Barbados in a 4-1 win, yet he hadn’t made a full squad until the game against Trinidad and Tobago.

He failed to come off the bench in pre-tournament friendlies vs the Netherlands and France, while also watching the 2-0 defeat to Argentina in Canada’s opening match of the competition from the sidelines.

Despite that, it is clear Bair has a wonderful future ahead. The likes of Jonathan David and Cyle Larin are clearly the main contenders to fill the centre-forward slots, but the Motherwell gem can learn massively from the duo this summer.

He has just a year to run on his current contract, which means he will be able to sign a pre-contract agreement in January. Could this tempt Clement into making a concrete offer in the coming weeks to rest Motherwell’s resolve?

It could be yet another smart transfer decision by the 50-year-old tactician if he was able to sign the striker, adding some much-needed depth in that area, especially after losing Roofe and Fabio Silva at the end of last season.

£7m duo sign, Tavernier & Goldson sold: Rangers' dream XI for 2024/25

Rangers could look very different next season compared to last

ByRoss Kilvington Jun 16, 2024

Ex-Chelsea star Damien Duff tried to call Jose Mourinho after clinching a historic Irish league title as Shelbourne boss, but he didn't pick up.

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Duff guides Shelbourne to title winFirst time in 18 yearsWas quick to call Jose Mourinho Follow GOAL on WhatsApp! 🟢📱WHAT HAPPENED?

Duff has been celebrating after seeing his Shelbourne team crowned League of Ireland Premier Division champions for the first time since 2006. The former Chelsea man was quick to phone his old manager after a 1-0 win over Derry City sealed glory but ended up losing a bet, and £500, when he didn't pick up. Duff vowed to his players he'd "put a monkey" on the bar tab if Mourinho didn't pick up and ended up having to shell out after his call went unanswered.

AdvertisementWATCH THE CLIPGetty Images SportWHAT DUFF SAID

Duff also revealed how Mourinho has played a part in his team's win as he used quotes from the Portuguese boss to inspire his players. He said: “Absolutely. It would be mad not to tap into him. So Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, there was posts on the Instagram page. Powerful lyrics, powerful words that would resonate and have a meaning to tie in for tonight. Then in the team meeting [today] there was a private message from Jose speaking about what it takes to win a title as a team, as an individual. It blew the guys away. A video that was shown in the Everglades two hours before the game.”

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Duff was appointed Shelbourne boss in 2021 and has finally ended his team's long wait for a league title. The job is Duff's first in management after a career spent playing for Blackburn, Chelsea, Newcastle and Fulham in the Premier League. The Irish star's best spell came at Stamford Bridge where he won two Premier League titles under Mourinho.

The 19-year-old Afghanistan mystery spinner has already made a splash in all three formats since his international debut in 2024, and he’s got the confidence to take on the world

Nagraj Gollapudi15-Sep-2025It was July 2022. The Shpageeza League, Afghanistan’s domestic T20 tournament was being played at the Kabul Cricket stadium. At around 1am in the morning one day, AM Ghazanfar got a call from Atta Mohammad, one of his older brothers, who asked Ghazanfar to be ready to report to the stadium the next day to join the Mis Ainak Knights squad.Ghazanfar was a net bowler for Knights at the time. The team was looking to replace former Pakistan left-arm fast bowler Mir Hamza, who had gone back home. During a nets session, the captain, Asghar Afghan, impressed with Ghazanfar’s bowling, asked if he could bowl with the new ball. Barely 16 then, Ghazanfar said yes, leading to the late-night call-up.The next morning, though, the security at the ground would not allow Ghazanfar to enter as he was not authorised for access. Eventually Knights’ manager secured him entry. Ghazanfar, upon coming in, noticed the team were in a huddle. “I was late and I was worried about what Asghar Afghan would say to me,” Ghazanfar says with a smile on a Zoom chat recorded a day after he made his T20I debut, against Pakistan, during the tri-series between Pakistan, Afghanistan and the UAE earlier this month.Related

Trott: Afghanistan 'not shy about achieving new things or breaking new ground'

Bangladesh in need of a handout against buoyant Afghanistan

Bangladesh lose 8 for 23 as Ghazanfar spins Afghanistan to victory

ESPNcricinfo Awards 2024 Men's debutant nominees: Seven sensations

Afghanistan bring in Ghazanfar to strengthen spin department for Asia Cup

Ghazanfar changed quickly into Knights gear and joined the team. His nerves vanished soon when Afghan told him he was playing. “Uff, ! I was under pressure, but I was proud at the same time,” Ghazanfar says. “My confidence level was high and I told myself I could manage myself and everything else quickly. I told myself, this is your day, this is your opportunity.”He misremembers being Player of the Match on his debut in the Shpageeza league, against Boost Defenders; he took one wicket in his four overs in a four-run win for Defenders. It was in Knights’ next match, against Hindukush Stars, where he took four wickets inside the powerplay, of which three came in the sixth over, that he won the award for his 4 for 15. “The game changed everything for me and my cricket,” he says.

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Last year was eventful for Ghazanfar. He made his debut for Afghanistan in ODIs, against Ireland in March 2024. In November, he became the third-youngest bowler to take a six-wicket haul in ODIs, after only Waqar Younis and Rashid Khan, when he picked up 6 for 26 against Bangladesh. He followed that up with another five-for against Zimbabwe in December, putting him on another list with those two bowling greats – as only the third bowler in men’s cricket to take more than one five-for before turning 19.Ghazanfar picked up four wickets in his debut Test, against Zimbabwe in December 2024•Zimbabwe CricketEarlier that month Ghazanfar played four matches in three days, shuttling through the UAE, featuring in both the Under-19 Asia Cup in Dubai and the AD T10 in Abu Dhabi. In the last week of the year, he made his Test debut – also his first first-class match – stepping in for Rashid Khan, who missed the first Test, in Bulawayo, due to back and hamstring issues.As Afghanistan prepped for the match, Hashmatullah Shahidi, Afghanistan’s Test captain, checked in with Ghazanfar about whether he was ready to play a Test, considering he had never played red-ball cricket. “He said, ‘You can do it, seriously?’ I said, ‘Yes, I can,'” Ghazanfar said. Later, alone in his room, Ghazanfar stayed up late to strategise and get himself mentally ready for the big game.He speaks about an inner confidence that has allowed him to handle his and others’ expectations across the three formats. “My mind is such that red-ball, white-ball doesn’t matter. The target is to bowl wicket to wicket. My match starts once the batsman engages with me face to face. I will not think this is white-ball, this is red-ball, this is T10. I like to plan and engage with the batsman’s plans.”Bowling in the Test, on a flat deck, was not easy. “They made such a wicket that two or three of their batters went to sleep on it,” Ghazanfar laughs. “Both Hashmat Shahidi and Rahmat Shah also scored double-centuries. The wicket was flat and the ground was heavy, but I got four wickets still.”

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Ghazanfar comes from Zurmat district in Paktia province in eastern Afghanistan. The youngest of ten children, he started playing tennis-ball cricket around 2019. His parents live in Zurmat, while a few of his brothers run the family business, which is spread between Saudi Arabia and Afghanistan.At 13, when he joined the Saleem Karwan Cricket Academy in Kabul, he did everything: opened the batting, bowled fast, bowled spin. His coach at the academy, Roze Khan Zurmetai, suggested he stuck to spin bowling. It was a major turning point. In about three months, Ghazanfar says, he ended up being the highest wicket-taker in the U-16 age group in Afghanistan (though records are unavailable to verify the statistic). “Before that, while I had the skills, I did not know exactly how to use them. But the coach said my skill lies in bowling spin and I should stick to that. I focused on that, worked hard, and with the grace of God, got the results.”Ghazanfar’s many variations make it exceptionally tricky for a batter to read a delivery out of the hand•Emirates Cricket BoardGhazanfar’s bowling run-up comprises nine steps, starting with a hop and skip, and he runs through the crease to deliver with a fastish arm action, in the Rashid or Mujeeb Ur Rahman mould. Batters have found it hard to read his stock ball and his variations out of his hand.Ghazanfar was lured by the magic of the wrong’un early on. “I started bowling the googly and the carrom ball but the googly was my strength. But as I started to train and bowl a lot, I started trialling backspin and offspin with the carrom ball and googly. Slowly, slowly, I started improving with practice.”The offbreak, arm ball and flipper are his other variations. Ghazanfar credits his fast-tracked growth to former Afghanistan fast bowler Dawlat Ahmadzai, who he says helped developed his spin craft and with the mental aspect of the game.Ahmadzai, who has mentored several young Afghan talents, including Rashid, as well as the current opening pair of Rahmanullah Gurbaz and Ibrahim Zadran, was head coach at the Mohammad Mirza Katawazai Cricket Centre in Kabul in 2022 when Ghazanfar’s brother Atta approached him, keen for him to look at his younger brother. “When I spoke to Ghazanfar for the first time, he told me he had started as a fast bowler,” Ahmadzai, who is currently head coach of East Bay Blazers in Minor League Cricket in the USA, and a former chairman of selectors for Afghanistan, says. “I asked him to bowl in the nets. Then I looked at his hands and felt he had the fingers meant for a good spin bowler. The middle finger on his bowling hand is strong and long and is the key driver of his variations. He also is tall and has strong shoulders.”Ahmadzai worked on Ghazanfar for nearly a year, from the basics of his run-up and action to teaching him the importance of backspin, helping him read cues from batters and telling him how to confound them. “He improved my skills a lot, teaching me how I can utilise my skills and when, and the kind of things I always need to pay attention to during my training and during the match,” Ghazanfar says.

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As a fingerspinner with multiple variations, Ghazanfar has quickly edged out the competition, including some of Afghanistan’s other mystery spinners, to earn places in prominent T20 leagues. He grabbed headlines during the IPL 2025 mega auction, when five-time champions Mumbai Indians bought him for Rs 4.8 crore (US$570,000 approximately). However, he did not feature in the tournament because of a back injury – a lumbar fracture that took several months to heal – that had its origins in the marathon spells he bowled in the Zimbabwe Test.Since 2022, Ghazanfar has been picked in several franchise leagues, including the IPL, LPL, CPL, ILT20, Abu Dhabi T10 and The T20 Blast•Abu Dhabi T10He travelled to India, though and spent time with the Mumbai Indians squad. MI’s scouts had been tracking him for a while by then. “In 2023 I was playing for Afghanistan U-19 in the UAE. Rahul [former India left-arm spinner Rahul Sanghvi, a long-serving senior MI official and scout] wanted me to attend trials at the ICC Cricket Academy. I did well, and they told me they would look at me at least as a back-up bowler during the 2024 season. I was very happy because to play the IPL is every youngster’s [wish]”He could not get a visa as a net bowler for MI, but he did end up going to the 2024 IPL after Kolkata Knight Riders picked him up as a replacement for Mujeeb, who was injured. “I was waiting to get picked as a net bowler but instead I got picked by a team. I couldn’t have been more happy,” Ghazanfar says.He didn’t get a game for KKR that season, but says the experience made him a better cricketer and also got him a good pay packet at the 2025 auction. KKR won the 2024 IPL, so Ghazanfar came back home that year with a medal, but he says his learnings trumped that. He spoke to spin greats like Sunil Narine and R Ashwin that season. “Having been there for big matches, including the IPL final, I saw up close how players were dealing with pressure. That was very significant for me,” he says.Gautam Gambhir, who returned as KKR mentor in 2024. “He gave me a lot of support. He said, ‘Your future is bright.’ [He said] that I should focus on my batting, which will come handy in the long run. He would stand behind me during my bowling at training and offer tips. He also said he would ensure KKR got me back for the 2025 season.”The franchise did bid hard for Ghazanfar but pulled out at the Rs 4.6-crore mark. “My kismet was with Mumbai,” he says with a smile. He expects to be retained by Mumbai for the 2026 season but still has fond memories of celebrating his 19th birthday with the franchise. “Tilak Varma ” [Tilak Varma did me especially dirty] Ghazanfar laughs, running a hand across his face to mimic how the Mumbai and India batter smeared cake all over it.Tilak was already acquainted with Ghazanfar, having played against him in the semi-final of the Emerging Teams Asia Cup in October 2024. Tilak was leading India A, who lost that match by 20 runs. Ghazanfar played a role in that defeat, getting the India opening pair of Abhishek Sharma and Prabhsimran Singh out cheaply.