Zafar Ansari facts for kids
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| Full name |
Zafar Shahaan Ansari
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| Born | 10 December 1991 Ascot, Berkshire, England |
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| Height | 5 ft 11 in (1.80 m) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Batting | Left-handed | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Bowling | Slow left-arm orthodox | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Role | All-rounder | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Relations | Khizar Humayun Ansari (father) Sarah Ansari (mother) Akbar Ansari (brother) |
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| Test debut (cap 673) | 28 October 2016 v Bangladesh | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Last Test | 17 November 2016 v India | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Only ODI (cap 237) | 8 May 2015 v Ireland | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| ODI shirt no. | 42 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Years | Team | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2010–2017 | Surrey (squad no. 22) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2011–2013 | Cambridge University | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Source: CricketArchive, 26 April 2017
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Zafar Shahaan Ansari, born on December 10, 1991, is a former British cricketer. He played for Surrey County Cricket Club and the England national team. Zafar was an all-rounder, meaning he was good at both batting and bowling. He bowled slow left-arm orthodox spin and batted left-handed. Today, he works as a lawyer in London.
Contents
Zafar Ansari's Early Life and Studies
Zafar Ansari's family comes from Pakistan. His father, Khizar Humayun Ansari, moved to the UK from Sukkur. Zafar's older brother, Akbar Ansari, also played county cricket.
Zafar went to St John's Beaumont School and later to Hampton School. He joined the Surrey cricket academy when he was very young, even before he turned nine. He also played for England's U15, U17, and U19 teams, and even captained the U15 team.
He studied politics and sociology at Trinity Hall, Cambridge, and earned a high-level degree. In 2016, he completed his master's degree in history from Royal Holloway, University of London. His master's paper was about a 1960s American civil rights group.
Zafar Ansari's Cricket Journey
Playing for County Teams
Zafar first played for Surrey in a List A match in September 2010. This type of match is shorter than a first-class game. He then made his first-class debut in April 2011 for Cambridge MCCU.
In only his third first-class match, he took five wickets for 33 runs. This was against his own county team, Surrey, and one of his victims was the famous cricketer Kevin Pietersen.
In 2014, Zafar scored his first century (100 runs) in a first-class match for Surrey. In the very next match, he took five wickets in an innings for Surrey for the first time.
Playing for England
Zafar played his first One Day International (ODI) for England on May 8, 2015. This game was against Ireland, but it was stopped because of rain.
In September 2015, Zafar was chosen to join the England team for a tour to the United Arab Emirates. They were going to play three Test matches against Pakistan. However, on the same day the team was announced, he hurt his thumb while fielding. Because of this injury, he could not go on the tour.
Zafar was chosen again for the England team in 2016. He went on a tour to Bangladesh and India. He made his Test debut for England on October 28, 2016, in Bangladesh. He took two wickets in Bangladesh's second innings.
He also played in two Test matches against India. In the first match, he scored 32 runs and took two wickets. England did not win that match. In the second match, he did not take any wickets. He then got a back injury, which stopped him from playing more games on the tour.
Why Zafar Retired from Cricket
On April 26, 2017, Zafar Ansari announced he was stopping his professional cricket career. He was only 25 years old. He said he did not see himself as a super-successful cricketer like Joe Root or Moeen Ali.
Zafar explained that cricket was just one part of his life. He had other goals he wanted to achieve. He felt happier in his daily life after leaving cricket.
What Zafar Does Now
After leaving cricket, Zafar started working for legal charities. He worked for "Just for Kids Law," which helps young people with issues like immigration or housing. He also worked for Inquest.
In 2021, Zafar was chosen to be part of the Independent Commission for Equity in Cricket. This group was set up by the England and Wales Cricket Board to make cricket fairer for everyone.
Zafar became a lawyer in 2021. He now works at Blackstone Chambers, a well-known law firm.
