Pakistan spinner Zafar Gohar eyes England debut after switching allegiance

Pakistan spinner Zafar Gohar is hoping to address England's ongoing struggles in spin bowling after becoming eligible to represent his adopted country.

Gohar, a left-arm spinner, played one Test for Pakistan in 2021 and a single One-Day International in Sharjah back in 2015. 

Six months after his Test debut against New Zealand, he signed a county contract with Gloucestershire. Since then, he has settled in the UK and played for Middlesex as a domestic player last summer.

His time in England now qualifies him to play for the national team. According to ICC eligibility rules, a player can switch allegiances between full Test-playing nations if they have not represented their previous side in the three years preceding the match for which they are selected. 

There is no stand-down period for players moving from an Associate nation to a Test-playing country.

"Moving to England a few years ago was a deliberate decision," Gohar said. "It was my target to move here and pursue my career. I'm happy I now qualify as an English player. Playing for England would be a great achievement, and I've been working hard to perform well over the last couple of years."

Gohar highlighted his record in English county cricket, stating, "I've had a pretty extraordinary run as a spinner in county cricket. To play as a local, you have to declare that England will be the only international team you represent. That's how the system works, and I've fully committed to it."

Gohar will be 31 when England return to Test cricket against New Zealand in June. England have struggled to find a reliable spin option in recent years.

Off-spinner Shoaib Bashir had emerged as a first-choice spinner last year but did not feature in the Ashes series against Australia. Veteran Jack Leach, now 34, has not played a Test since England toured Pakistan at the end of 2024.

Reflecting on his Pakistan career, Gohar expressed mixed feelings. 

"It was a dream to play for Pakistan, and I'm grateful I achieved it. But I feel I could have done more. I worked hard and performed well domestically, but opportunities were limited," he said. 

"There's no point in playing domestic cricket and giving up on your dreams, which is why I moved to England to pursue my career. Playing county cricket here was always my goal, and I was fortunate to get the chance with Gloucestershire," he added.

Gohar's switch of allegiance carries an interesting history. His only ODI appearance came against England in Sharjah in 2015, a year after he was named Player of the Match in the Under-19 World Cup semi-final against them in Dubai. 

That match was heated, with England's players sledging Gohar, but he calmly guided Pakistan to victory in a tense run chase, setting up a final against South Africa, which Pakistan subsequently lost.

"I love challenges," Gohar said. "When I moved to England and signed with Gloucestershire, many said it doesn't spin much at Bristol and questioned why they signed a spinner." 

"I took it as a challenge and ended up taking 10 wickets in a match at Bristol—the first in years. I became one of Gloucestershire's most successful spinners in decades. If someone says I can't do it, it motivates me even more," he concluded.