Shafiqullah Ghafari

Durham Cricket can announce leg spinner Shafiqullah Ghafari has signed a one-year deal with Durham.

Ghafari joins Durham on a deal for the 2026 season – having spent time with the County during the back end of last season’s campaign.

Born in Central Asia, the 24-year-old leg break bowler qualifies as a local player following his successful asylum claim.

Ghafari has impressed while playing club cricket for Richmondshire in the North Yorkshire and South Durham Premier League, closing in on 300 wickets in three seasons at an average below 14 whilst scoring one century and five half-centuries.

A former Afghanistan under-19 international, Ghafari claimed record figures for an Afghan at an ICC U19 World Cup with 6/15 on his way to the second-highest wicket tally at the 2020 tournament, bagging 16 wickets in South Africa at an average of seven.

The Afghan-born cricketer made his first-class debut for Kabul in April 2019 and has gone on to take 39 wickets at 27 in 12 appearances in the Ahmad Shah Abdali 4-Day Tournament with a best of 7/44 against Mis Anak in October 2022.