Middlesex Cricket today announced that all-rounder Zafar Gohar will join the Club immediately, having signed a contract until the end of the 2026 season.
Gohar dented Middlesex 2024 promotion hopes
The 29 year old turned in a match winning performance against Middlesex at Lords in September with a fine 86 that hauled Gloucestershire close to Middlesex’s first innings score, before taking two vital wickets as Middlesex pushed to build a winning lead. For good measure he struck ta boundary to win the game for Gloucestershire and punch a big hole into the Londoner’s promotion hopes. No doubt Middlesex will be hoping he can turn in similar match winning performances for them as the battle to get out the 2nd Division next season.
The Lahore born left-arm spinner, who has represented Pakistan in both Test and ODI formats, left Gloucestershire at the end of the 2024 season after four years in Bristol, and joins Middlesex this winter ahead of the 2025 season.
Gohar has previously played as an overseas cricketer for Gloucestershire; however, he will now be available to play in all three domestic formats of the game for Middlesex as a local cricketer.
In his career to date he has made 84 first-class appearances, has picked up 300 wickets at an average of 31.52, with best bowling figures of 7 for 79. With the bat he has hit 2,538 runs at an average of 22.46 with a career high score of 100*.
Across both white-ball formats he has made 160 appearances, has picked up 199 wickets, with best bowling figures of 5 for 56 in the List A format and 4 for 14 in T20 cricket.
Over the four years he spent with Gloucestershire he played 34 first-class matches, picked up 118 wickets, and returned best bowling figures of 6 for 43.
On Middlesex radar for some time
Speaking of Gohar joining Middlesex, MD of Cricket, Alan Coleman, commented:
“Zafar is a player that we have admired for some time now and have been keeping a watchful eye on. We are delighted to have secured his services as a local cricketer for the next two seasons.In Championship cricket we have identified the need to increase our wicket-taking threat in all conditions and adding an international quality spinner to our line-up will strengthen us and add a greater threat on all types of surfaces.
Coleman added that “adding a senior bowler to our white-ball teams will also help the side in those situations where we’ve lacked some experience in the shorter formats in recent years. The addition of someone like Zafar to our squad adds not only quality, but also invaluable experience, and our young spinners will benefit enormously from having him in the playing group.
On joining Middlesex for the next two seasons, Zafar Gohar was gracious enough not to mention his role in consigning his new county to a further season in Division Two, but did say “I’m thrilled to be joining Middlesex and making Lord’s my home ground for the next two years. It’s a club steeped in history and to be a part of this next chapter is hugely exciting”.
Zafar is keen to make a positive impact in all formats, saying “The opportunity to contribute to both the red-ball and white-ball teams formed a big part of my decision to make Middlesex my home, and I can’t wait to play my part in what I hope will be a successful 2025 for the club.”
Middlesex followers will be hoping a Lords home and his previous success there will inspire Zafar to fulfil his promise.
