Usman Ghani (Pashto: غني عثمان; born 20 November 1996) is an Afghan international cricketer.[1] He is a right-handed opening batsman.

Usman Ghani
Personal information
Born (1996-11-20) 20 November 1996 (age 27)
Khost, Afghanistan
BattingRight-handed
BowlingRight-arm off break
RoleOpening batter
International information
National side
ODI debut (cap 31)1 May 2014 v Hong Kong
Last ODI23 January 2022 v Netherlands
ODI shirt no.87
T20I debut (cap 28)26 October 2015 v Zimbabwe
Last T20I27 March 2023 v Pakistan
T20I shirt no.87
Domestic team information
YearsTeam
2017Speen Ghar
Career statistics
Competition ODI T20I FC LA
Matches 17 33 20 43
Runs scored 435 764 1456 1152
Batting average 25.58 26.34 39.35 28.09
100s/50s 1/2 0/4 2/9 3/4
Top score 118 73 117 136
Balls bowled 38 114 62
Wickets 1 0 1
Bowling average 34.00 55.00
5 wickets in innings 0 0
10 wickets in match 0 0
Best bowling 1/21 1/21
Catches/stumpings 3/– 14/– 26/1 11/–
Source: Cricinfo, 4 November 2022

Career edit

Ghani made his debut in the 2014 Asian Cricket Council Premier League against Hong Kong at Bayuemas Oval, Kuala Lumpur on May 1, 2014. He took a wicket for 21 runs in the match, besides scoring 70 runs off 68 balls. In the next ODI against the UAE, he scored 55 runs. He was the leading run scorer in the tournament with 228 runs at an average of 45.60.[2]

On Afghanistan's tour to Zimbabwe, in the fist ODI, he scored 79 runs with six fours and three sixes and help Afghanistan edge past Zimbabwe A by 16 runs in the tour match at Bulawayo Athletic Club.[3]

In the second ODI, Ghani was one man show up Afghanistan's innings against Zimbabwe at Queens Sports Club. Ghani scored 118 off 143 deliveries which is the jointly equal for the highest score by an Afghanistan batsman and the highest individual score was Gulbadin Naib's 23 but Sikandar Raza Butt's 141 helped Zimbabwe crush Afghanistan by eight wickets and took 2–0 lead in the four-match series.[4]

He made his Twenty20 International debut for Afghanistan against Zimbabwe on 26 October 2015.[5]

He made his first-class debut for Band-e-Amir Region in the 2017–18 Ahmad Shah Abdali 4-day Tournament on 19 November 2017.[6]

In July 2018, he was the leading run-scorer for Band-e-Amir Region in the 2018 Ghazi Amanullah Khan Regional One Day Tournament, with 218 runs in five matches.[7]

In September 2018, he was named in Balkh's squad in the first edition of the Afghanistan Premier League tournament.[8] and his first-wicket partnership with Hazaratullah Zazai was also a record for any wicket in a T20I, with 236 runs scored. In September 2020, he was the leading run-scorer in the 2020 Shpageeza Cricket League, with 355 runs in seven matches.[9]

In September 2021, he was named in Afghanistan's squad for the 2021 ICC Men's T20 World Cup.[10]

References edit

  1. ^ "Usman Ghani". ESPN Cricinfo. Retrieved 22 March 2017.
  2. ^ All-round Afghanistan cruise to title win
  3. ^ Ghani, Sharafuddin help Afghanistan to close win
  4. ^ Raza century sets up huge Zimbabwe win
  5. ^ "Afghanistan tour of Zimbabwe, 1st T20I: Zimbabwe v Afghanistan at Bulawayo, Oct 26, 2015". ESPN Cricinfo. Retrieved 26 October 2015.
  6. ^ "11th Match, Alokozay Ahmad Shah Abdali 4-day Tournament at Khost, Nov 19-22 2017". ESPN Cricinfo. Retrieved 19 November 2017.
  7. ^ "2018 Ghazi Amanullah Khan Regional One Day Tournament, Band-e-Amir Region: Batting and Bowling Averages". ESPN Cricinfo. Retrieved 26 July 2018.
  8. ^ "Afghanistan Premier League 2018 – All you need to know from the player draft". CricTracker. Retrieved 10 September 2018.
  9. ^ "Records: Shpageeza Cricket League, 2020: Most runs". ESPN Cricinfo. Retrieved 16 September 2020.
  10. ^ "Rashid Khan steps down as Afghanistan captain over team selection". Cricbuzz. Retrieved 9 September 2021.

External links edit