Pakistan Star Switches To England Team, Mohsin Naqvi's PCB Blamed For Shocking Move

A seismic development is on the cards as Pakistan spinner Zafar Gohar has moved to England and is set to try and play international cricket for The Three Lions. The left-arm spinner has claimed to feel he was done a disservice by Pakistan and is keen to carve out a new path.

Jofra Archer, Eoin Morgan and Boyd Rankin are just three examples of overseas born players who have represented England. ECB guidelines state that an overseas player can represent England if they either have British citizenship or are eligible by residence criteria, which is typically between three to seven years, with a minimum presence required.

Gohar born in Lahore has already begun that process. The 31-year-old is a British citizen after spending numerous years playing county cricket.

Gohar slams PCB for lack of opportunities

Gohar minced no words about his time with Pakistan cricket. He represented the green shirts in ODI's against England back in 2015 and played in a Test match against New Zealand in 2021 but despite his stellar performances in domestic cricket could not retain his place in the team.

Gohar said according to ESPNCricinfo:

"I remember Misbah-ul-Haq coming to me before the Test match saying, we don't have enough seam all rounders so you're going to bat at No. 8, and if we need it you'll bowl a couple of overs. I remember playing that Test match, I got like 34 and 37 in each innings. And, yeah, never really had any communication after that."

He went on to criticize his neglect by the selectors in Pakistan for not being recognized.

He further added:

"I didn't really get the chances I deserved in Pakistan. I took nearly 50 wickets for Gloucestershire [in 2022] and almost 500 runs with the bat as well, and when I went back to Pakistan, I got two more five-fers in three games,"

The all-rounder concluded:

"But, after that, one of the selectors said: 'It doesn't matter what you do in county cricket. We don't really recognise those performances'. And that's when I realised there's no point. I decided to try something else where I could at least do everything I could to get my chance," 

Despite limited international chances Gohar boasts an impressive First-Class record with 343 wickets to his name along with 3098 runs.

England dream and Test selection chances

The former PCB player after the fall-out with Mohsin Naqvi led PCB is now targeting selection for the English national side. Gohar has officially become a local player for Middlesex from 2025 after previously being selected as an overseas player for Gloucestershire.

Gohar confirmed:

"If the chance comes anytime, I'll be ready." 

His County Championship form this year has been good as he has already scored 164 runs and picked up five wickets. Last season, he proved crucial for Gloucestershire by scoring 396 runs and picking up 38 wickets.

Considering the current England setup under Ben Stokes with limited spin options, namely; Will Jacks, Shoaib Bashir, Rehan Ahmed. With Jack Leach no longer part of England plans, Gohar could find himself the ideal left-arm spin option.

Spinner may not have always been England's strongest attribute but with the all-rounder ability of Zafar Gohar and the current dearth of good spin bowling options, he may find himself pushing for a Test place should he fulfill all the eligibility criteria within time.