ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s left-handed spinner Zafar Gohar, who hardly got any opportunity to show his skills at the national level, is now open to play for England in international cricket.
According to ICC regulations, a player who has not played for his/her country for three years can switch nationality and play for another national team. The same has occurred in the case of Zafar Gohar, and now the England national team has become part of the picture.
Zafar Gohar, the 31-year-old cricketer, made his first appearance for the national team in the year 2015 through an ODI match with Afghanistan. In 2021, the player took part in just a single Test match versus New Zealand and that was all. Nonetheless, Gohar, after his Test debut very soon shifted to the UK for playing county cricket and before that had already become a part of Gloucestershire by signing a contract with them.. He finally got accustomed to the place and established the UK as his permanent home.
Gohar said that the thought of playing for England had been with him ever since he moved to the country. “I have always been looking to play consistently well in county cricket because hard work and results are what count,” he stated.
Spin bowling in England has been a talking point for the last few years, with the likes of Shoaib Bashir considered to be a strong candidate but then omitted from the recent Ashes series and not even a 34-year-old seasoned spinner, Jack Leach, has played a Test since England’s tour to Pakistan in late 2024.
In case he is given such an opportunity, Gohar’s ability as a spinner under English conditions would likely be one of the major advantages for the England team.
Gohar looked back and talked about his short period with the National squad and said that he was very much honoured to be the nation’s representative however, he did not feel good about the limited chances he got.
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