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Emirates EaglesBowler
Zahir Khan
- Age
- 27y 327d
- Bats
- Left-hand
- Bowls
- Left-arm unorthodox
- Age
- 27y 327d
- Bats
- Left-hand
- Bowls
- Left-arm unorthodox
Zahir Khan is a young spin bowler from Afghanistan, a country whose progress in limited-overs cricket owes a great deal to its slow bowlers. Names such as Rashid Khan, Mohammad Nabi and Mujeeb have helped build that reputation, and Zahir is seen as a strong candidate to be counted among them.
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What sets him apart is his craft. Zahir bowls wrist spin of the Chinaman variety, an unusual style in the game. More bowlers of this type have appeared lately, yet they remain uncommon, and batters often find it hard to read deliveries that carry an element of surprise.
His development came through the Afghanistan Under-19 team, a side that has improved quickly at that level. Zahir enjoyed a productive spell with the youth squad and played a key role in its achievements. Beyond age-group cricket, he gained further experience in the Intercontinental Cup and in a domestic Twenty20 competition staged in Afghanistan.
A major breakthrough arrived at the 2018 auctions, when he secured a contract in the Indian Premier League. The move offers him a valuable chance to prove himself on a bigger stage, and he is set to benefit from the guidance of the great Australian leg-spinner Shane Warne, who will act as his mentor.
