Sport
Afghanistan’s young fast bowler Ziaur Rahman Sharifi made a sensational entry into Test cricket, producing a spell to remember as he claimed 7 wickets for 97 runs on debut against Zimbabwe at the Harare Sports Club. His fiery performance not only helped Afghanistan gain the upper hand in the match but also etched his name into the record books as one of the finest debutants in modern Test history.
Sport A Debut to Remember
Playing in Afghanistan’s only Test of the 2025 tour of Zimbabwe, the right-arm pacer delivered a remarkable 32-over spell filled with precision, pace, and controlled aggression. Ziaur’s figures of 7/97 are now the best bowling figures by an Afghan cricketer on Test debut, surpassing previous records set by some of his country’s finest bowlers.
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With this feat, Ziaur not only set a new Afghan milestone but also outshone the debut records of global stars like Ravichandran Ashwin and Pat Cummins, two of modern cricket’s most respected names.
- Ashwin had taken 6/47 against the West Indies in 2011.
- Cummins had recorded 6/79 on his debut against South Africa the same year.
Ziaur’s seven-wicket haul now stands taller, showcasing the rise of Afghanistan’s red-ball potential on the international stage.
Sport Top Bowling Figures by Afghan Debutants in Tests
Ziaur Rahman Sharifi – 7/97 vs Zimbabwe, Harare (2025)
Amir Hamza – 5/74 vs West Indies, Lucknow (2019)
Nijat Masood – 5/79 vs Bangladesh, Mirpur (2023)
Naveed Zadran – 4/83 vs Sri Lanka, Colombo (2024)
Yamin Ahmadzai – 3/51 vs India, Bengaluru (2018)
Sport The Match Context
Coming to the match, Zimbabwe ended the second day pretty strongly after reducing Afghanistan to 34/1 with Richard Ngarava taking the only wicket that fell in the second innings on Day 2.
Zimbabwe had hit 359 in the first innings with Sam Curran’s brother Ben Curran scoring his maiden Test century. Sikandar Raza also made a strong 88-ball 65, while Brad Evans – the speedster who took a fifer in the first innings – scored an unbeaten 35 from 48 deliveries.
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