Zaman Akhter

Zaman Akhter

Akhter in 2024
Personal information
Born	(1999-03-12) 12 March 1999 (age 25) Cambridge, Cambridgeshire, England
Batting	Right-handed
Bowling	Right arm medium
Domestic team information
Years	Team
2023–present	Gloucestershire (squad no. 17)
First-class debut	20 May 2023 Gloucestershire v Durham
List A debut	1 August 2023 Gloucestershire v Derbyshire
Career statistics
Competition FC LA T20 Matches 18 6 3 Runs scored 366 27 24 Batting average 21.52 27.00 24.00 100s/50s 0/1 0/0 0/0 Top score 70 27* 11* Balls bowled 2,666 288 66 Wickets 45 10 3 Bowling average 41.11 27.30 31.00 5 wickets in innings 2 0 0 10 wickets in match 0 0 0 Best bowling 5/32 3/25 2/36 Catches/stumpings 6/– 4/– 0/–
Source: ESPNcricinfo, 28 September 2024

Zaman Akhter (born 12 March 1999) is an English cricketer who plays for Gloucestershire County Cricket Club and was the 6th graduate of the South Asian Cricket Academy (SACA) to sign a professional contract. He is a right-handed batsman and right arm medium pace bowler. He made his first-class debut for Gloucestershire on 18 May 2023, against Durham. Akhter has also played for England Lions.

Career

Akhter made his first-class cricket debut for the Oxford UCCE scheme (Oxford Brookes University and University of Oxford) against Middlesex in March 2019.^[1] He later played minor counties cricket for Cambridge,^[2] and Hertfordshire.^[3] He played for Essex Second-XI towards the end of the 2022 season.^[4]

Gloucestershire

Akhter played at South Asia Cricket Academy prior to signing for Gloucestershire in March 2023.^[5] Gloucestershire coach Dale Benkenstein described him as having a “natural action”. He made his first-class debut for Gloucestershire on 18 May 2023 against Durham.^[6][7] In his third first-class match, on 13 June 2023, he impressed by taking 4-33 from 17 overs against Leicestershire.^[8] He signed a new one-year contract with the club in November 2023.^[9][10]

He took his first five-wicket haul for Gloucestershire on the opening day of the 2024 County Championship, finishing with figures of 5/89 against Yorkshire at Bristol on 12 April 2024.^[11] In August 2024, he signed a contract extension with the county.^[12]

England Lions

Akhter was named in the England Lions squad for a four-day match against Sri Lanka at New Road, Worcester in August 2024.^[13][14] He took five wickets for 32 runs off 11.5 overs in the tourists' first innings.^[15][16][17] In December 2024, he played for the England Lions against South Africa A on their tour of South Africa.^[18]

References

1. "Middlesex vs. Oxford MCCU". cricinfo. 18 March 2019. Retrieved 29 June 2023.
2. Street, Tim (25 July 2019). "Cambridge CC duo help Cambridgeshire CCC to first league win of season". Cambridge-news. Retrieved 20 May 2023.
3. Fletcher, Iain. "Zaman Akhter signs for Gloucestershire CCC". Hertscricket.org. Retrieved 20 May 2023.
4. Friend, Nick (4 February 2023). "Counties send scouts to watch SACA session as scheme continues to unearth talent". The Cricketer. Retrieved 20 May 2023.
5. "Gloucestershire sign seam bowler Zaman Akhter on an initial one-year deal". Gloucestershire County Cricket Club. Retrieved 14 August 2024.
6. Friend, Nick (18 May 2023). "Zaman Akhter's Gloucestershire debut puts yet another feather in SACA's cap". The Cricketer. Retrieved 20 May 2023.
7. Halliwell, Mark (29 March 2023). "Gloucestershire head coach Dale Benkenstein on "great signing" Marchant de Lange, his hopes for his young crop of seam bowlers and the return of Zafar Gohar". Gloucestershire Live. Retrieved 29 June 2023.
8. "County Championship: Lewis Hill hits ton for Leicestershire v Gloucestershire". BBC Sport. 13 June 2023. Retrieved 14 June 2023.
9. "Zaman Akhter: Gloucestershire agree one-year extension". BBC Sport. Retrieved 14 August 2024.
10. ""I loved every minute" - Gloucestershire hand Zaman Akhter new one-year contract". The Cricketer. Retrieved 14 August 2024.
11. "Zaman Akhter takes maiden five-for as Glos bowl Yorkshire out on day one". gloscricket. 12 April 2024. Retrieved 16 May 2024.
12. "Pace bowler Akhter extends Gloucestershire deal". BBC Sport. 20 August 2024. Retrieved 21 August 2024.
13. "England Lions name squad for Sri Lanka tour game". England and Wales Cricket Board. Retrieved 14 August 2024.
14. "Gloucestershire trio named in England Lions squad". Gloucestershire County Cricket Club. Retrieved 14 August 2024.
15. "England Lions vs Sri Lanka". ESPNCricinfo. Retrieved 14 August 2024.
16. "Sri Lankan batting falters as England Lions take control on Day 1". thepapare.com. Retrieved 15 August 2024.
17. "Sri Lanka face fight to save game in only tour match before England Tests". ESPNCricinfo. Retrieved 15 August 2024.
18. "Zaman Akhter makes quick impression in England Lions' tour match". espncricinfo. 10 December 2024. Retrieved 12 December 2024.