Ajmal Shahzad

Ajmal Shahzad (born 27 July 1985) is an English cricket coach and retired cricketer.

Ajmal Shahzad
Personal information
Full nameAjmal Shahzad
Born (1985-07-27) 27 July 1985
Huddersfield, West Yorkshire, England
NicknameAjy, Roadman, Rudeboy, AJ
Height6 ft 0 in (1.83 m)
BattingRight-handed
BowlingRight-arm fast-medium
RoleBowler
International information
National side
Only Test (cap 650)4 June 2010 v Bangladesh
ODI debut (cap 216)5 March 2010 v Bangladesh
Last ODI27 February 2011 v India
ODI shirt no.13
Domestic team information
YearsTeam
2004–2012Yorkshire (squad no. 4)
2012→ Lancashire (on loan)
2013–2014Nottinghamshire (squad no. 1)
2015–2017Sussex (squad no. 4)
2017Leicestershire
Career statistics
Competition Test ODI FC LA
Matches 1 11 97 87
Runs scored 5 39 2,237 548
Batting average 5.00 6.50 23.06 14.05
100s/50s 0/0 0/0 0/6 0/1
Top score 5 9 88 59*
Balls bowled 102 588 15,073 3,886
Wickets 4 17 249 120
Bowling average 15.75 28.82 34.97 29.69
5 wickets in innings 0 0 4 1
10 wickets in match 0 n/a 0 n/a
Best bowling 3/45 3/41 5/46 5/51
Catches/stumpings 2/– 4/– 16/– 20/–
Source: ESPNcricinfo, 16 September 2017

As a right-arm fast bowler, he played first class cricket for five counties Yorkshire, Lancashire, Nottinghamshire, Sussex and Leicestershire between 2004 and 2017.

Shahzad made his international debut for England in a Twenty20 International in February 2010.[1] He went on to play 3 Twenty20 internationals, 11 One Day Internationals and one Test match (against Bangladesh in 2010) for his country.

Following his playing career, Shahzad initially became an assistant coach at Marylebone Cricket Club's youth team.. He succeeded Steve Kirby as the club's Head Coach in February 2019.

Family and education

Shahzad's father is an accountant by profession, who played club cricket for Idle, West Yorkshire. Ajmal Shahzad grew up in Bradford, where he attended Bradford Grammar School and Woodhouse Grove School; he lived close to fellow cricketer Adil Rashid. Shahzad studied four months of pharmacy at Bradford University before transferring to Leeds Metropolitan University to study sports science to enhance his cricket career.[2]

Domestic career

In 2004, he became the first Yorkshire-born player of Asian extraction to play for Yorkshire.[3][4]

In his only first-class appearance in 2006, he failed to take a wicket, and scored just two runs. He enjoyed more success in the shorter formats of the game, claiming five wickets and 18 runs in four List A matches for his native county, and in his sole Twenty20 appearance, he took 2 wickets.

In 2009, Shahzad took 40 wickets and scored 445 runs in the lower middle order. His performances gained him a call up to the England performance squad on a tour of South Africa, where he impressed coach Andy Flower.

In the 2011 County Championship he managed 25 wickets at a bowling average of 41.00.[5] In September, Shahzad was reprimanded for scuffing the pitch during the penultimate Championship match against Warwickshire and fined £750. The club was relegated from the First Division in the final match of the season.[6] Shahzad regretted the incident, explaining "It's not the way I want to play my game. I don't want to be seen as a cheat, or a pitch-damager. ... It's one mistake I've made in an eight- or nine-year career so far. It's out of the blue for me, and I definitely would never do anything like it again. It was just a random, stupid act."[5]

In April 2012 Yorkshire's new bowling coach, Jason Gillespie, praised Shahzad's efforts, saying "Ajmal has got himself in as good a condition as he's ever been in his first-class career. He's worked incredibly hard, and I think he's a fantastic bowler, a very exciting bowler." However, on 1 May 2012, it was announced that Shahzad was to leave Yorkshire[7] and a week later he joined Lancashire on loan for the rest of the season.[8]

On 10 October 2012, having been told he was free to leave Yorkshire, Shahzad signed a three-year contract to join Nottinghamshire.[9]

On 7 November 2014, he was released a year early from his Nottinghamshire contract and signed a three-year contract with Sussex.[10]

On 10 July 2017, Shahzad departed Sussex after his contract was terminated by mutual agreement.[11]

International career

In January 2010, he was named in the Test and ODI squads for the England tour of Bangladesh.[12] On his debut for England in a Twenty20 International against Pakistan, he claimed two wickets, both in his first over.[13] He then made his ODI début against Bangladesh, again taking a wicket in his first over.[14]

When Bangladesh toured England a few months later, he made his Test debut in the second Test, replacing the injured Tim Bresnan. After only scoring 5 runs in England's innings and an expensive first bowling spell, he took 3 wickets in 3 overs in his second spell as Bangladesh failed to reach the follow-on target. Pakistan toured England in July and Shahzad was included in England's 12-man squad for the first Test. A week before the match, he twisted his ankle whilst playing for Yorkshire. As he was still experiencing discomfort the day before the Test, England chose to play Tim Bresnan instead of Shahzad.[15]

Though pundits had expected Shahzad to be included in England's squad for the 2010–11 Ashes, he was omitted from the 16-man touring party. However, he was included in the performance squad who were training in Australia and ready to provide cover in the event of injuries.[16] He was not called upon in the Tests, but played two T20Is against Australia[17] and the first five of the seven ODIs that followed. He took 6 wickets at an average of 40.50 before a hamstring injury in the fifth match ruled him out of the rest of the series.[18][19]

Shahzad was included in England's 15-man squad for the 2011 ICC World Cup held in Bangladesh, India, and Sri Lanka in March 2011.[20] He managed three wickets from two appearances in the tournament,[21][22] but suffered a recurrence of the hamstring injury against Australia forcing him out of the tournament prematurely.[23]

On his return to Yorkshire, he struggled for form so was left out of the England Test and ODI squads to face Sri Lanka in 2011. He was selected in the England Performance Programme held over the 2011-12 English off-season,[24] but never played international cricket again.

References
  1. "Player Profile: Ajmal Shahzad". Cricinfo. Archived from the original on 29 January 2010. Retrieved 23 February 2010.
  2. Berry, Scyld (17 July 2010). "England's Ajmal Shahzad is on the fast track to an Ashes spot".
  3. "Shahzam, it's Ajmal". thisisyork.co.uk. 3 September 2005. Archived from the original on 28 September 2007. Retrieved 3 September 2007.
  4. Whitaker, Neil. "Ajmal Shahzad plays for Yorkshire". World Cricket Centre. Archived from the original on 27 September 2007. Retrieved 17 August 2007.
  5. Hopps, David (31 March 2012). "'I'm no cheat' – Shahzad". Retrieved 31 March 2012.
  6. "Yorkshire's Ajmal Shahzad hit with fine". BBC Sport. 23 September 2011. Retrieved 31 March 2012.
  7. Hopps, David (1 May 2012). "Yorkshire drop Shahzad bombshell". Cricinfo. Retrieved 1 May 2012.
  8. Dobell, George (8 May 2012). "Shahzad to join Lancashire". Cricinfo. Retrieved 8 May 2012.
  9. "Ajmal Shahzad joins Nottinghamshire from Yorkshire". BBC Sport. 10 October 2012. Retrieved 10 October 2012.
  10. "Ajmal Shahzad: Sussex sign Nottinghamshire pace bowler". BBC Sport. 7 November 2014. Retrieved 28 January 2015.
  11. "NEWS: Ajmal Shahzad to leave Sussex". Sussex County Cricket Club. 10 July 2017. Archived from the original on 13 July 2017. Retrieved 10 July 2017.
  12. Bagchi, Rob (18 January 2010). "Alastair Cook appointed England captain for Bangladesh tour". The Guardian. Archived from the original on 21 January 2010. Retrieved 23 February 2010.
  13. Miller, Andrew (20 February 2010). "Captains laud Razzaq onslaught". Cricinfo. Archived from the original on 30 March 2010. Retrieved 23 February 2010.
  14. Miller, Andrew (5 March 2010). "Kieswetter ton sets up whitewash". Cricinfo. Archived from the original on 10 May 2010. Retrieved 4 June 2010.
  15. "Tim Bresnan replaces Ajmal Shahzad for England v Pakistan first Test". The Guardian. 28 July 2010. Retrieved 31 March 2012.
  16. McGlashan, Andrew (23 September 2011). "Tremlett and Panesar earn Ashes calls". Cricinfo. Retrieved 31 March 2012.
  17. McGlashan, Andrew (17 January 2011). "Shahzad hopes for World Cup spot". Cricinfo. Retrieved 31 March 2012.
  18. McGlashan, Andrew (30 January 2011). "England's injury list continues to grow". Cricinfo. Retrieved 31 March 2012.
  19. "Records / England in Australia ODI Series, 2010/11 / Most wickets". Cricinfo. Retrieved 31 March 2012.
  20. McGlashan, Andrew (19 January 2011). "England choose Matt Prior over Steve Davies". Cricinfo. Retrieved 31 March 2012.
  21. "Batting and fielding in ICC World Cup 2010/11 (ordered by average)". CricketArchive. Retrieved 31 March 2012.
  22. "Bowling in ICC World Cup 2010/11 (ordered by average)". cricketArchive. Retrieved 31 March 2012.
  23. "Shahzad ruled out with hamstring injury". Cricinfo. 17 March 2011. Retrieved 31 March 2012.
  24. "England youngsters set for busy winter". Cricinfo. 29 September 2011. Retrieved 31 March 2012.
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