Mohammad Ishaq Profile, Career & Stats

The clang of cricket echoed through the narrow lanes of Kabul, where children played with taped tennis balls, dodging traffic and dust in equal measure. It was there, in the hum of a city rebuilding and the resilience of a community refusing to lose joy, that a young Mohammad Ishaq Shirzad first picked up a cricket bat. To many, it was just another street game; to him, it was the beginning of an obsession. Every swing of the bat, every improvised delivery on cracked asphalt, carried more than just youthful exuberance; it carried the dream of rising beyond limitation.

Born on December 8, 2003, in Afghanistan, Shirzad belongs to the post-war generation that has grown up with cricket as a symbol of national pride. For children of his era, watching the Afghan national team climb rapidly from the margins of world cricket into a recognised force was more than sport; it was proof that hope could translate into history. For Shirzad, the players he saw on TV —Rashid Khan, Mohammad Nabi, and Asghar Afghan —weren’t distant celebrities. They were beacons that told him it was possible.

By the time he entered his teenage years, Ishaq Shirzad had moved into organised cricket, playing in age-group tournaments in Afghanistan and earning recognition for his left-arm bowling. Unlike many youngsters who relied on raw pace, Shirzad carried an understanding of angles, flight, and control. Coaches noted that he had a natural rhythm, a repeatable action that made him a captain’s dream. Even when the ball didn’t turn dramatically, he knew how to build pressure.

His performances in junior cricket soon caught the eye of selectors. By 2022, he was part of Afghanistan’s Under-19 setup, a significant step in a country where the talent pipeline is both rich and competitive. Representing Afghanistan at the youth level meant not just wearing a jersey, but stepping into a tradition of fast growth, where Under-19 players often leapt into senior cricket within months. For Shirzad, this was both an opportunity and a responsibility.

The ICC Under-19 World Cup in 2022 was his first brush with global cricket. Afghanistan’s U19 team, already renowned for producing world-class players, provided him with a stage to showcase his temperament. Bowling to young batters from powerhouses like India and England, Shirzad held his own.

By mid-2025, Shirzad’s professional career was still in its early chapters, but his numbers painted the picture of a player with promise.

With the bat, Shirzad is developing but is already useful. However, he isn’t yet a recognised all-rounder, but his lower-order fight demonstrates the mindset of someone who values every contribution.

At the domestic level, Shirzad has begun appearing in Afghanistan’s regional tournaments, representing his province in both 50-over and T20 formats. His economy and knack for key wickets have earned him respect, even against more seasoned batters. Coaches describe him as a player who doesn’t get carried away, whose celebrations are muted, whose focus is unwavering, his eyes always scanning for the next opportunity.

His bowling style has drawn comparisons with classic Afghan spinners: methodical, attacking the stumps, and forcing batters into mistakes through patience rather than trickery. Where some rely on extravagant turns, Shirzad’s strength is subtle variation, the ball that drifts slightly wider, the one that skids straight on, or the fuller length that tempts a drive and brings infielders into play. This kind of bowling, especially in limited-overs formats, is invaluable.

By 2025, Shirzad had already been discussed as a potential inclusion in Afghanistan’s senior T20I squad, especially for tours in Asia where spin dominates. His ability to keep run rates in check and bowl under pressure makes him an appealing option. While he hasn’t yet debuted for the senior national side, the whispers of his call-up grow louder after every youth and domestic performance.

Off the field, Shirzad carries the humility of his upbringing. He often speaks about cricket as a responsibility, not just an opportunity. “When I play, I don’t just play for myself — I play for those kids in Kabul streets who want to see one of their own succeed,” he once told a local reporter after a domestic match. That sense of purpose adds weight to his journey.

Looking ahead, his goals are clear. In the short term, he aims to cement himself as a consistent performer in domestic cricket. In the medium term, he aims to break into Afghanistan’s T20I setup and prove himself against higher-ranked nations. And in the long term, to become part of the country’s next golden generation, a generation that could take Afghanistan from underdogs to genuine contenders.

The story of Mohammad Ishaq Shirzad is still in its early chapters. Still, it is already filled with lessons: of persistence in modest circumstances, of learning from seniors, of carrying the weight of a country’s dreams with quiet determination. His career so far may not be decorated with centuries or five-wicket hauls, but it is filled with the promise of someone who could yet define Afghanistan cricket’s next decade.

As the sun dips again over Kabul and young boys tape tennis balls for another street match, somewhere in those streets is another dreamer watching Shirzad. And perhaps that is his greatest contribution already, proving that those childhood games, played in dust and determination, can carry you to the edge of global recognition.

(As of September 2025)