Having qualified for the West Indies-USA jointly hosted ICC
2024 T20 World Cup, for the very first time in its illustrious
history, Canada’s Men’s cricket team will be intending
to be competitive in each of their tournament appearances.
One of the key players likely to influence their success will be
the captain Saad Bin Zafar.
Born 10 November 1986) in Pakistan Saad Bin Zafar now
represents his adopted homeland Canada as an all-rounder.
He is a left-handed batsman and a slow left-arm orthodox
bowler.
As the world record holder for completing his maximum four-over
quota without conceding a run in a men’s T20I match,
he’s also ranked seventh internationally for the most career
maiden overs bowled in the format. Saad also currently holds
the record for the 2nd highest strike rate of 414.28 in a T20I
innings.
Saad began his cricket career journey at the tender age of ten,
playing tape ball cricket with friends on the streets of Pakistan.
Later at the age of 14, his school’s sports teacher spotted Saad
and introduced him to Leather ball cricket by selecting him for
the junior school cricket team. In 2004, he started playing club
cricket for Overseas Cricket Club in Pakistan’s Premier Division.[
While enrolled at the University of Toronto he got the opportunity
to lead CIMA Toronto Mayor’s Team XI which toured England
under the program of Cricket Across the Pond in 2010. He had
an impressive all-round performance by scoring 275 runs and
bagging 11 wickets. He also had a successful stint as a skipper
of Mayor’s Team XI by winning 7 out of their 9 matches on the
tour. He scored 262 not out in a 50-over game in Scarborough
Cricket League Premier Division in August 2015.
In January 2017, Saad played for the ICC Americas in the
Caribbean 2016–17 Regional Super50 and was the leading
wicket-taker for his team. Included among his 9 wickets that
season, were the likes of Shai Hope, Chadwick Walton, and
Jermaine Blackwood.
On 3 June 2018, Saad was selected to play for the Vancouver
Knights in the players’ draft for the inaugural edition of the
Global T20 Canada tournament. Saad was the second
Canadian player to be selected in the draft after Nikhil Dutta
in round 9. In the 2018 Global T20 Canada final between the
Vancouver Knights and the West Indies B cricket team, Saad
returned figures of 2-26/4 2 including the wicket of Fabian Allen.
Vancouver Knights didn’t have an ideal start to the chase as
Chadwick Walton, Chris Gayle, and Ben Dunk fell cheaply to
leave them at 22 for 3 but Saad and Rassie van der Dussen
came up with a crucial unbeaten 126-run partnership to get
Knights back on track in the chase. Saad played the role of an
aggressor, dealing in regular boundaries to bring up a 32-ball
fifty. He collected eight fours and three sixes in his unbeaten
48-ball stay for 79 runs. Saad was adjudged man of the match
for his brilliant all-round performance.
In September 2018, he was called up as a replacement
player for Bangladesh’s allrounder Mahmudullah by St Kitts
and Nevis Patriots for the CPL playoffs. Less than a year later,
in June 2019, he was re-selected to play for the Vancouver
Knights franchise team in the 2019 Global T20 Canada
tournament. He had a successful tournament as the Knights’
leading wicket-taker.
During the three-year period from July 2019 to the samemonth in 2022, and even in the midst of
the COVID global pandemic, Saad Bin Safar’s name became a hot ticket for many of the still operational franchise
Leagues. Euro T20’s Amsterdam Knights, the Qatar T10’s Falcon Hunters, the Caribbean Premier League’s St Lucia
Zouks, Houston Hurricanes, Michigan Cricket Stars as well as the Kashmir Premier League’s Muzaffarabad Tigers
were among those who eagerly recruited his leg-spinning talents!
Earlier this year, in June 2023, Saad
was the first Canadian player to be
drafted for 2023 Global T20 Canada by
Toronto Nationals. In August 2023, he
was appointed the captain of the New
Jersey Somerset Cavaliers for the 2023
Minor League Cricket season. He ended
the season with being the 4th most
economical bowler of the tournament
with an economy rate of 3.82 from 9
matches.
As Canada’s most experienced T20
player Saad Bin Zafar has also had a
most outstanding international career
to date, representing his adopted
homeland. In June 2008 Saad was
named in Canada’s Squad for the 2007–
08 ICC Intercontinental Cup. He made his
international debut on 4 July 2008 playing
against Bermuda. He bowled impressively
on debut capturing 4 wickets, including
the wicket of Bermuda’s captain Irving
Romaine who was close to scoring a
century.
In December 2009, he was named
in Canada’s squad for the 2010
Quadrangular Twenty20 Series in Sri
Lanka, and in January 2010, was included
in Canada’s squad for the 2010 ICC
World Twenty20 Qualifier tournament in
the United Arab Emirates. He made his
T20 debut against UAE in the 9th match
of the tournament.
After a five-year hiatus, Bin Zafar made
a comeback into international cricket in
April 2015 by getting named in Canada’s
squad for the 2015 ICC Americas
Twenty20 Division One. In June 2015,
he was named in Canada’s squad for
the 2015 ICC World Twenty20 Qualifier
tournament hosted by Scotland and Ireland. He
was the most economical bowler for Canada with
a 6.23 economy rate from 5 matches.
In May 2017, Saad was named in Canada’s squad
for the 2017 ICC World Cricket League Division Three
tournament in Uganda. In January 2018, he was
named in Canada’s squad for the 2018 ICC World
Cricket League Division Two tournament in Namibia.
In August 2018, he was named in Canada’s squad
for the 2018–19 ICC World Twenty20 Americas
Qualifier tournament in Morrisville, North Carolina.
In April 2019, he was named in Canada’s squad for
the 2019 ICC World Cricket League Division Two
tournament in Namibia. Even though Canada was
not able to gain ODI status but he had a successful
tournament by being the leading wicket-taker
for Canada, with 11 dismissals in 6 matches.
In August 2019, he was named in Canada’s squad for
the Regional Finals of the 2018–19 ICC T20 World
Cup Americas Qualifier tournament. He made his
Twenty20 International (T20I) debut for Canada
against the Cayman Islands on 18 August 2019.
In September 2019, he was named in Canada’s
squad for the 2019 Malaysia Cricket World Cup
Challenge League A tournament and was the most
economical bowler for Canada with an economy
rate of 3.50 from 5 matches.
In October 2019, he was named in Canada’s squad
for the 2019 ICC T20 World Cup Qualifier tournament
in the United Arab Emirates. He was the leading
wicket-taker for Canada in the tournament, with 9
dismissals in 5 matches.
In October 2021, he was named in Canada’s squad
for the 2021 ICC Men’s T20 World Cup Americas
Qualifier tournament in Antigua. On 14 November
2021, in Canada’s match against Panama, Saad
became the first bowler to bowl four overs in a T20I
match without conceding a run. In February 2022,
he was named to Canada’s squad for the 2022 ICC
Men’s T20 World Cup Global Qualifier A tournament
in Oman.
In July 2022, he was named in Canada’s squad for
the 2022 Canada Cricket World Cup Challenge
League A tournament. In the sixth match of the
tournament, against Malaysia, he took his first fivewicket
haul in List A cricket.
In July 2022, Saad was appointed as the captain
of Canada’s squad against Nepal’s tour of Canada
which was scheduled for Nepal’s preparation of
the 2022 Scotland Tri-Nation Series. The tour had
two One Day matches scheduled but persistent
rain had completely washed out the first match
however in the second match Canada secured 83
runs convincing win over Nepal.
In October 2022, he was named as the captain of
Canada’s Squad for the 2022 Desert Cup T20I Series
and also for a bilateral 50-over-a-side three-match
series against.