Allah Mohammed Ghazanfar has been announced as a new recruit for the DP World International League T20, a day after playing a starring role in a historic win for Afghanistan.
The teenaged mystery spinner will join up with Abu Dhabi Knight Riders when the third season of the UAE’s T20 franchise league gets under way in January.
The side based in the capital have the same owners as the Kolkata-based Indian Premier League franchise of the same name. Ghazanfar joined that team in the IPL earlier this year as a replacement player for his compatriot, Mujeeb Ur Rahman. Now he has been added to the ranks of their Abu Dhabi side for the event in the UAE.
It marks quite the rise for a player who travelled to the UAE to play in the Under 19 Asia Cup last winter as an unknown, was only picked in one game, and failed to take a wicket.
Subsequent to that he shone for the Afghans in the Under 19 World Cup in South Africa, where he took eight wickets at 16.75. Despite that, he remained largely unknown until catching the eye with an extraordinary display in Afghanistan’s six-wicket win over South Africa in the first one-day international in Sharjah on Wednesday.
He was not flattered by his figures of three for 20 off 10 overs, and Fazalhaq Farooqi, with whom he shared the new ball, was named player of the match for his four wickets. But Ghazanfar stood out for his bewitching spell. It was clear that for almost all of it, the South African batters had little idea which was he was turning the ball.
He helped inspire the first win for Afghanistan over South Africa as Aiden Markram’s side were bowled out for just 106. Among the full Test-playing nations, it is now only India who are left that Afghanistan have failed to beat in international cricket.
Among the other new signings announced by the ILT20, perhaps the most eye-catching is that of Fakhar Zaman. The Pakistan opener will join his compatriots Azam Khan and Mohammed Amir at Desert Vipers for the tournament, which will be played from January 11 to February 9 in Abu Dhabi, Dubai and Sharjah.
After two poor campaigns in the first two seasons of the ILT20, Sharjah Warriorz have made a bid to address their failings with a raft of new signings.
They have recruited 14 new players in the latest signing window. Included in that are the England trio of Jason Roy, Adil Rashid and Gus Atkinson.
The teams can still more players or replacements to their squads, as well as additional UAE players via a draft. That will take place after the conclusion of the ILT20 Development tournament next month.
ILT20 squad lists
Abu Dhabi Knight Riders
New signings: Allah Mohammed Ghazanfar, Gudakesh Motie, Hassan Khan, Roston Chase, Terrance Hinds.
Retentions: Aditya Shetty, Ali Khan, Alishan Sharafu, Andre Russell, Andries Ghous, Charith Asalanka, David Willey, Joe Clarke, Laurie Evans, Michael Pepper, Sunil Narine.
Desert Vipers
New signings: Dan Lawrence, David Payne, Fakhar Zaman, Lockie Ferguson, Max Holden.
Retentions: Adam Hose, Alex Hales, Ali Naseer, Azam Khan, Bas de Leede, Luke Wood, Michael Jones, Mohammed Amir, Nathan Sowter, Sherfane Rutherford, Tanish Suri, Wanindu Hasaranga.
Dubai Capitals
New signings: Adam Rossington, Brandon McMullen, Garuka Sanketh, Gulbadin Naib, Jeffrey Vandersay, Joe Burns, Joe Weatherley, Najibullah Zadran, Obed McCoy, Scott Kuggeleijn, Sharafuddin Ashraf, Shai Hope.
Retentions: Dasun Shanaka, David Warner, Dushmantha Chameera, Haider Ali, Akif Raja, Rovman Powell, Sam Billings, Sikandar Raza, Zahir Khan, Jake Fraser-McGurk, Oliver Stone.
Gulf Giants
New signings: Adam Lyth, Dominic Drakes, Daniel Worrall, Ibrahim Zadran, Mark Adair, Tom Curran, Tymal Mills, Wahidullah Zadran.
Retentions: Aayan Khan, Blessing Muzarabani, Chris Jordan, Dipendra Singh Airee, Gerhard Erasmus, Jamie Overton, James Vince, Jamie Smith, Jordan Cox, Zuhaib Zubair, Rehan Ahmed, Shimron Hetmyer.
MI Emirates
New signings: Romario Shepherd, Tom Banton, Fareed Ahmad, Thomas Jack Draca, Ben Charlesworth.
Retentions: Akeal Hosein, Andre Fletcher, Daniel Mousley, Dwayne Bravo, Fazalhaq Farooqi, Jordan Thompson, Kieron Pollard, Kusal Perera, Mohammed Rohid, Muhammad Waseem, Nicholas Pooran, Nosthush Kenjige, Vijayakanth Viyaskanth, Waqar Salamkheil.
Sharjah Warriorz
New signings: Adam Milne, Adil Rashid, Ashton Agar, Avishka Fernando, Bhanuka Rajapaksa, Daniel Sams, Gus Atkinson, Harmeet Singh, Jason Roy, Karim Janat, Keemo Paul, Matthew Wade, Virandeep Singh, Tim Seifert.
Retentions: Dilshan Madushanka, Johnson Charles, Junaid Siddique, Mohammed Jawadullah, Kusal Mendis, Luke Wells, Peter Hatzoglou, Tom Kohler-Cadmore.
