Gloucestershire signs Pakistani left arm spinner Zafar Gohar for the 2022 season
Signed by Gloucestershire last season, Zafar has shown impressive performances in the four games he has played during the season. The spinner with the left arm picked up 20 wickets in those four games, including three five-wicket hauls.
The 26-year-old will be available for the entire season this time. He will initially be held on a pay-by-appearance basis until the end of July before becoming a full-time member of the squad for August and September 2022.
Gloucestershire's Performance Director Steve Snell was delighted to have signed the Pakistani all-rounder. He said that Zafar's impressive performances at the end of last season proved the quality of his talent. He said the district team is thrilled to take on the 26-year-old's services as he brings depth and balance to the team.
"Zafar's signing is another great moment for the club," said Brown. "We feel that we are on the cusp of something very special with the squad we are putting together and we are confident that we can fight for silver in 2022.
"Zafar was a huge success with the fans at the end of last season and we are confident that next season he will again make important contributions to The Shire in all formats, including the County Championship where we played in Division One play the best cricketers in the country.
Gohar, who has played a Test and an ODI for Pakistan, is Gloucestershire's first signing since the confirmation of Dale Benkenstein's appointment as head coach earlier this week.
Read More | Shaheen Afridi, Abid Ali & Hasan Ali achieve the best test rankings of their careers
"To play county cricket this year and make my debut for Gloucestershire was an achievement of an ambition I've had for a while," said Gohar. "Having the opportunity to put on a Gloucestershire shirt and contribute to a winning team has been a great start to my career in England and I am very excited to be returning for a longer period of time next year.
"We have a team that is able to challenge anyone and from 2021 great momentum to build on. I can't wait to come back and hopefully pick up where I left off." Steve Snell, Performance Director at Gloucestershire Cricket added: “We are very excited to have Zafar back on board for the next season, he has already proven his quality and we are very excited to see him in action again next year.
"The fact that Zafar is available from day one is a real bonus, he gives the squad depth and makes the selection even more difficult for our new head coach Dale Benkenstein, which is a positive problem."Zafar made his first-class debut in 2013 and has since been considered one of the most talented players in the Pakistani region. He has played 49 top-notch matches and collected 181 wickets, including 9 five-wicket hauls with an average of 29.24, and scored 1,347 runs, including five half centuries and a century with an average of 21.72.