The man who got Joe Root with a ‘Jafer’
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 in an England net session whilst bowling to Joe Root at Loughborough.
Chohan, 21, is studying International Relations at Loughborough University, where the ECB National Performance Centre is based. He dismissed Root and Ben Duckett and has also spent time at Adil Rashid’s own cricket centre.
Root made the recommendation to the Yorkshire coaching staff, who offered the Londoner a trial and followed through with the offer of a contract.
In his debut summer with Yorkshire, he impressed in the Vitality Blast. He claimed five wickets in 13 matches, with his control his most impressive attribute. He earned himself a new two-year contract at Headingley and also went on to join the Southern Brave squad in the Hundred through August, though he didn’t make an appearance for them.
After time on the Middlesex Academy, Chohan has had trials with a number of counties and was reportedly interesting Worcestershire as Yorkshire made their move.
He has been playing his cricket most recently for the South Asian Cricket Academy, playing against county second teams, as well as in the National Counties competition for Berkshire. In 20 appearances for both sides in 2022, he claimed 22 wickets in 20 appearances as well as hitting a top-score of 48 in the lower middle order. Berkshire won the National Counties 50-over title.
Chohan, who has Pakistani heritage, 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. In 2024, he will hope to make his red ball debut for Yorkshire.
UPDATED: Feb 2024.
