Gulbadin Naib

Gulbadin Naib is a professional cricketer who plays for Afghanistan. He was born on 16 March 1991 in Puli Alam, Logar, Afghanistan. Naib is a right-handed batsman and a right-arm fast medium bowler.

Early Life and Career

Naib debut for Afghanistan was in the 2008 World Cricket League Division Five against Japan. Two years later, he was selected for the 2010 Asian Games squad, in which he played only one game, against Hong Kong. The Afghan side eventually went on to win the silver medal.

His List A debut for Afghanistan came against Pakistan when the Afghan team toured Pakistan and played three unofficial One Day Internationals against Pakistan A.

T20 Franchise Career

Naib was selected to play for Balkh’s side in the inaugural edition of the Afghanistan Premier League in September 2018. A month later, he was included in the squad of Sylhet Sixer following the draft of 2018-19 Bangladesh Premier League.

International Career

Naib’s One Day International debut came against Canada in the 2011-12 ICC Intercontinental Cup One-Day. He made his Twenty20 debut in the Cricket Canada Summer Festival against Trinidad and Tobago.

His maiden Twenty20 half-century playing for Faysal Bank in the Twenty-20 Cup 2011-12. He scored 68 runs off 42 balls against Faisalabad Wolves. Later that year, he helped Afghanistan to secure their third ACC twenty20 Cup title with his innings of 57 runs from 50 balls.

He was the part of the squad which played in Afghanistan’s first One Day International against a full member Test-playing nation when they played Pakistan in 2012 against Pakistan. Naib made his Twenty20 International debut against the Netherlands while playing in the 2012 World Twenty20 Qualifier held in the United Arab Emirates.

In June 2012, he was selected for the tour of Ireland. It was in this tour that he made his first-class debut and score 13 runs. During their ODI against Australia in Sharjah, he was named in Afghanistan’s squad for the World Twenty20 in Sri Lanka in 2012. In April 2019, he was named as the captain of the national side for the 2019 Cricket World Cup.

Career Stats