| Personal information | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Azeem Rafiq | |||
| Born | 27 February 1991 Pakistan |
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| Batting style | Right-hand batsman | |||
| Bowling style | Right-arm off break | |||
| Domestic team information | ||||
| Years | Team | |||
| 2008–present | Yorkshire (squad no. 30) | |||
| 2011 | → Derbyshire (loan) (squad no. 27) | |||
| First-class debut | 6 June 2009 Yorkshire v Sussex | |||
| List A debut | 30 August 2009 Yorkshire v Sussex | |||
| Career statistics | ||||
| Competition | FC | LA | T20 | |
| Matches | 4 | 2 | 5 | |
| Runs scored | 117 | 0 | 18 | |
| Batting average | 23.40 | – | 18.00 | |
| 100s/50s | 1/0 | 0/0 | 0/0 | |
| Top score | 100 | 0 | 11* | |
| Balls bowled | 747 | 30 | 102 | |
| Wickets | 10 | 1 | 4 | |
| Bowling average | 48.70 | 36.00 | &29.25 | |
| 5 wickets in innings | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| 10 wickets in match | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| Best bowling | 3/34 | 1/36 | 2/21 | |
| Catches/stumpings | 1/– | 1/– | 2/– | |
| Source: CricketArchive, 13 October 2009 | ||||
Azeem Rafiq (born 27 February 1991) is an English cricketer. A right arm off-spin bowler with a scholarship to Yorkshire, Azeem he current loan short-term signing of Derbyshire season 2011. Azeem was also captain of the England Under-15s and Under-19s, and the first Yorkshire cricket player of an Asian background to captain any England cricket side at any level.[1] 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.[2]
Barnsley raised 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 currently plays for Yorkshire Cricket Club's academy team, where he was names as Junior Performer of the Year.[3] 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.[4] 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.[5]
Of Azeem'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.[2]
On 7 July 2008, the proposed Twenty-20 match between Yorkshire and Durham was postponed due to Yorkshire fielding Azeem Rafiq during a Twenty-20 game against Nottinghamshire in the previous round. The controversy surrounded the registering of Azeem Rafiq, who wasn't registered with the ECB as a full-time player for Yorkshire. As a result the ECB excluded Yorkshire from the 2008 competition and awarded the match points to Nottinghamshire, which would have meant they went through to the quarter final to play Durham. However at an appeal with the ECB, heard on Monday 14 July 2008, Yorkshire were handed a reduced punishment. The result of the match stood, but Yorkshire's 2 points earned were deducted. This meant that neither Nottinghamshire nor Yorkshire went through, instead Glamorgan went through to the quarter finals.
Rafiq was a recipient of a Brian Johnston Memorial Trust Scholarship to give young cricketers financial support, and was awarded the Yorkshire CCC Academy Player of the Year in 2008.[6] Rafiq was captain for the England U-19 squad in the 2010 World Cup,[6] but was dropped for the second England Under-19 Test against Sri Lanka for breaking mid-match curfews; he responded by publishing a strongly worded attack against coach John Abrahams on his Twitter account, deleting them once he realised they were made public.[7] On 26 July 2010, he was given a one month ban from all cricket by the England and Wales Cricket Board.[8]
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