The man who got Joe Root with a ‘Jafer’ could soon be wearing an England shirt too
Jafer Chohan is a leg-spinner who joined Yorkshire on a one-year rookie contract ahead of 2023, his moved sparked by an impressive showing whilst bowling to Joe Root at Loughborough as a net bowler for the England squad.
Chohan has since been called up to England’s senior white ball squad and has represented their Lions team.
The 22-year-old toured the Caribbean with England’s senior squad in November 2024 without debuting and, weeks later, toured South Africa with the Lions.
His passport was in full use as, at the start of 2025, he also represented Sydney Sixers in Australia’s Big Bash League.
It all came on the back of an impressive Vitality Blast campaign with Yorkshire in 2024, in which he claimed 17 wickets in 10 matches. That included hauls of 5-14 and 4-30 in successive July wins over Durham at Headingley and Worcestershire at New Road.
Towards the latter end of the summer, he also signed a new contract at Headingley, where he will remain until at least the end of 2027.
In recent years, Chohan has been studying International Relations at Loughborough University, where the ECB National Performance Centre is based. He has also spent time at Adil Rashid’s own cricket centre in Bradford. The pair are close mates.
Going back to that chance bowl at Root. The England and Yorkshire legend, who had been bowled by Chohan, subsequently made the recommendation to the Yorkshire coaching staff, who offered the Londoner a trial and followed through with a contract offer.
In his debut summer with Yorkshire, Chohan impressed in the Blast. He claimed five wickets in 13 matches, with his control the most impressive attribute.
After time on the Middlesex Academy, Chohan had trials with a number of counties and was reportedly interesting Worcestershire as Yorkshire made their move.
He had been playing his cricket for the South Asian Cricket Academy against county second teams, as well as in the National Counties competition for Berkshire.
Chohan, who has Pakistani heritage and is a hard-hitting lower order batter, says he has modelled his style of leg-spin bowling on Shahid Afridi and is not dissimilar to Anil Kumble in the way he bowls.
He is yet to make his red ball debut for Yorkshire, though it’s something he’s desperate to do.
UPDATED: Feb 2025.
