Afsar Zazai is a seasoned wicketkeeper-batter from Afghanistan who has been a steady presence in the national setup since his teenage years. The 32-year-old from Kabul was identified as a talent early, making his Under-19 debut at just 16 before progressing to the senior side. His ODI debut against United Arab Emirates in November 2014 was impressive, with a tidy 60, a catch, and a stumping, which helped him leapfrog Mohammad Shahzad as Afghanistan’s first-choice wicketkeeper for the 2015 World Cup. Zazai has been a consistent performer across formats, with a Test century to his name—113 against India—and over 3,000 first-class runs at an average of 36.73, including six centuries. His wicketkeeping skills have been equally reliable, with over 150 dismissals in first-class cricket alone. A mature and dependable cricketer, Zazai continues to be a valuable asset for Afghanistan in the longer formats.
| Batting & Fielding | ||||||||||||||
| Format | Mat | Inns | NO | Runs | HS | Ave | BF | SR | 100s | 50s | 4s | 6s | Ct | St |
| Tests | 10 | 17 | 1 | 378 | 113 | 23.62 | 756 | 50.00 | 1 | 0 | 34 | 5 | 23 | 1 |
| ODIs | 17 | 16 | 1 | 264 | 60 | 17.60 | 488 | 54.09 | 0 | 2 | 15 | 0 | 20 | 2 |
| T20Is | 8 | 8 | 0 | 141 | 48 | 17.62 | 172 | 81.97 | 0 | 0 | 9 | 3 | 0 | 2 |
| FC | 56 | 91 | 7 | 3086 | 202 | 36.73 | 5785 | 53.34 | 6 | 19 | 323 | 35 | 138 | 15 |
| List A | 84 | 79 | 7 | 2106 | 121 | 29.25 | 3016 | 69.82 | 2 | 12 | 158 | 31 | 77 | 19 |
| T20s | 64 | 61 | 15 | 1207 | 78* | 26.23 | 1162 | 103.87 | 0 | 6 | 92 | 35 | 34 | 17 |
| Bowling | ||||||||||||||
| Format | Mat | Inns | Balls | Runs | Wkts | BBI | BBM | Ave | Econ | SR | 4w | 5w | 10w | |
| Tests | 10 | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | |
| ODIs | 17 | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | |
| T20Is | 8 | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | |
| FC | 56 | 4 | 49 | 33 | 2 | 1/3 | 1/3 | 16.50 | 4.04 | 24.5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| List A | 84 | 1 | 8 | 12 | 0 | - | - | - | 9.00 | - | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| T20s | 64 | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | |
He is a right-handed wicketkeeper-batter who provides reliable glovework and valuable contributions with the bat across all formats.
He made his T20I debut against Kenya on October 11, 2013, his ODI debut against United Arab Emirates on November 28, 2014, and his Test debut against India on June 14, 2018.
In 10 Test matches, he has scored 378 runs at an average of 23.62, including one century and a highest score of 113, with 23 dismissals as wicketkeeper.
In 56 first-class matches, he has scored 3,086 runs at an average of 36.73, including six centuries and 19 half-centuries, with a highest score of 202, and has over 150 dismissals as wicketkeeper.
He made a tidy 60 on his ODI debut against UAE, followed by 51 in his second match, helping him secure Afghanistan's first-choice wicketkeeping spot for the 2015 World Cup.
In 84 List A matches, he has scored 2,106 runs at an average of 29.25, including two centuries and 12 half-centuries.
He was just 16 years old when selected for Afghanistan's 2010 Under-19 World Cup squad and had already played for the Under-17 side at the Asian Cricket Council Challenge Cup.
He has featured in the Afghanistan Premier League, representing teams like Mis Ainak Knights and Band-e-Amir Region.
