Azeem Rafiq
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| Full name | Azeem Rafiq | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Born |
February 27, 1991 Karachi, Sindh, Pakistan |
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| Batting style | Right-hand batsman | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Bowling style | Right-arm off break | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Domestic team information | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Years | Team | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2008–2014 | Yorkshire (squad no. 30) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2011 | → Derbyshire (on loan) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2016–present | Yorkshire (squad no. 30) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| FC debut | 6 June 2009 Yorkshire v Sussex | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| LA debut | 30 August 2009 Yorkshire v Sussex | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Career statistics | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Source: CricketArchive, 9 April 2017 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Azeem Rafiq (Urdu: عظیم رفیق; born 27 February 1991) is an English cricketer. A right arm off-spin bowler with a scholarship to Yorkshire, Azeem was a short-term loan signing of Derbyshire in the 2011 season. Azeem was also captain of the England Under-15s and Under-19s, and the first Yorkshire cricket player of an Asian background to captain an England cricket side at any level. His use of a successful doosra delivery against Michael Vaughan during a nets session at Headingley drew attention of England bowling coach David Parsons, and ear marked Azeem as a possible future England bowler. Azeem was also the recipient of a Sport England award in 2006.
Azeem Rafiq attended Holgate School near his home of Barnsley, and played cricket for Barnsley Cricket Club. He was called up for the England Under-15s, which he captained, and played for Yorkshire Cricket Club's academy team, where he was named as 'Junior Performer of the Year'. At two One Day Internationals at Loughborough University against Scotland where England's spinners took 17 of the 20 wickets, Azeem took 1-5 and 2-14. Azeem has also had success as a right-handed batsman, scoring 59 against Barbados U16 again while captaining the England U15s. The team coach, John Wake, stated:
There were some wonderful individual performances, especially from the batsmen and the spin bowlers, which all bodes well for the future of England’s long-term cricket future.
Of Rafiq's England prospects, David Parsons remarked that "he's a decent bowler for a 16-year-old and is generally quite an orthodox bowler....there's no doubt he's an exciting prospect and a genuine all-rounder - not one of these bowlers seeking to improve his batting". As well as from Parsons, Azeem has received coaching and advice from Saqlain Mushtaq, a former Pakistani spin bowler.
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