by Yorkshire’s Jafer Chohan has received his first international call-up for England, with the leg-spinner a surprise inclusion during the white-ball tour of the Caribbean in October and November.
Chohan’s selection is another note of success for the South Asian Cricket Academy (SACA): he is the first player from the program to be named in an England squad. Warwickshire’s Dan Mousley and Hampshire’s John Turner are the other uncapped players in the group of 14 named for three one-day internationals and five T20s against the West Indies.
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Jos Buttler returns as captain after missing the recent series against Australia due to a calf injury, but the team currently does not have any players named in the Test squad to face Pakistan this month .
Two players from the red-ball setup will eventually join the limited-overs group in the Caribbean; a call on which pair will be made after England select their team for the third Test in Rawalpindi. That match begins on October 24, with England’s ODI series against the West Indies beginning a week later.
A potential international debut marks a rapid rise for Chohan. The 22-year-old played age-group cricket for Middlesex, but had to look elsewhere for professional opportunities, ending up at SACA. The Academy aims to improve British South Asian representation in professional cricket, providing the opportunity to play against county second XIs.
Jos Buttler (Lancashire, captain), Jofra Archer (Sussex), Jacob Bethell (Warwickshire), Jafer Chohan (Yorkshire), Sam Curran (Surrey), Will Jacks (Surrey), Liam Livingstone (Lancashire), Saqib Mahmood (Lancashire), Dan Mousley (Warwickshire), Jamie Overton (Surrey), Adil Rashid (Yorkshire), Phil Salt (Lancashire), Reece Topley (Surrey), John Turner (Hampshire, photo)
After impressing at the Academy in 2022, Chohan then trialled in Yorkshire, signing a rookie deal with the club ahead of the 2023 season before taking 17 wickets in the T20 Blast this summer at an average of 15.52. The club announced a new three-year deal for Chohan this week, with the bowler also set to represent the Sydney Sixers in the Big Bash League this winter.
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“It highlights that what we are doing is helping the system,” Tom Brown, SACA’s chief executive, told the Guardian after Chohan’s call. “There is so much talent that we have traditionally lacked that we can now access. We were always afraid when we started, obviously with Azeem Rafiq, the ICEC and Black Lives Matter, of being seen as some sort of EDI checkbox. But it shows that we are a legitimate source of developing and showcasing talent capable of reaching the highest level.
Other county cricketers who have come through the SACA include Somerset’s Andy Umeed, Worcestershire’s Kashif Ali and Gloucestershire’s Zaman Akhter. Akhter, a fast bowler, made his debut for the England Lions against Sri Lanka in August, taking seven wickets in the match.
Chohan will serve as Adil Rashid’s understudy during the tour and has worked closely with Rashid’s brother Amar, SACA coach. “They’re almost like brothers,” Brown added. “[Chohan] is a lovely child. He is incredibly hardworking, he will go and train by himself in terrible conditions. I wouldn’t be surprised if he’s training outside right now and it pisses him off. He makes a long run, enters quite quickly, plays three or four good variations. Plays a googly, plays a slider – he’s pretty smart with what he does.
