Picture by Darrian Traynor/Getty Images. Naveen-ul-Haq is heading to Yorkshire for this summer’s Blast.
In Afghanistani Naveen-ul-Haq, Yorkshire have signed a pace bowler with a superb record in the Vitality Blast and one who is nearing 300 T20 career wickets overall.
Naveen, 26, is a former Leicestershire player. He spent three seasons with them from 2021-2023.
In that time, he claimed 54 wickets in 33 matches with a best of 5-11.
He played six times against Yorkshire and returned a best of 4-34 in a 2022 win at Headingley when he ousted new team-mates Harry Brook and Dom Bess.
The right-armer is a cricketer with immense experience despite only being in his mid-twenties. He has played T20 cricket in a variety of leagues, including the IPL, the Big Bash and the Caribbean Premier League.
He played alongside Jonny Bairstow for MI Emirates at the ILT20 in the UAE in December just gone.
Picture by Tony Marshall/Getty Images. Naveen-ul-Haq in action for Leicestershire in the 2021 Vitality Blast.
Naveen currently has 271 from 223 career T20 appearances to his name.
Naveen was due to represent Afghanistan at the forthcoming T20 World Cup in India and Sri Lanka, where his country will be seen as one of the dark horses for success. After all, they reached the semi-finals in the USA and Caribbean back in 2024. Unfortunately, though, he has been ruled out with a shoulder injury.
He will soon pass 50 career T20 appearances, currently standing on 48 since debuting in September 2019.
It was three years earlier – as a 17-year-old – that he made his ODI debut.
Naveen is an aggressive quick and one with immense skill. He is effective both with the new ball and at the death. His availability for the entirety of this summer’s Blast is a huge boost to a White Rose side chasing their maiden title in this competition.
If he can reproduce the kind of form which made him an instant favourite at Grace Road back in 2021, that would be ideal. That campaign, he finished as the leading wicket-taker in the country with 26 from 14 appearances.
Picture by Darrian Traynor/Getty Images. Naveen-ul-Haq celebrates an international wicket.
