Durham keep Ghafari for 2027 after One-Day Cup breakthrough
Durham have kept leg-spinner Shafiqullah Ghafari for another year, with a one-year extension that runs until at least the end of the 2027 campaign.
The club confirmed the deal on 7 October, as reported by BBC Sport. It rewards a strong summer for the 24-year-old in the 50-over game.
Ghafari made 10 appearances in the 2026 One-Day Cup, the domestic competition played at 50 overs per side. He finished as Durham's leading wicket-taker in the tournament with 16 wickets, as Durham reached the semi-finals.
His standout day came in August. He took career-best figures of 4-36 against Lancashire at Old Trafford. Four wickets for 36 runs is the best return of his professional career so far.
He also played a small part in Durham's four-day success. Ghafari made one County Championship appearance, in the final game against Lancashire, during the club's Division Two promotion-winning season. The Championship is first-class cricket played over up to four days.
Away from Durham, he was busy too. He took 65 wickets in 23 games for Richmondshire in the North Yorkshire and South Durham Premier League in 2026.
Ghafari was born in Afghanistan and has successfully claimed asylum in England. He played for Afghanistan at the Under-19 World Cup in 2020. He first joined Durham for the remainder of the 2025 season, then signed a one-year deal for 2026 as a local player, according to Durham Cricket.
For fans, this means continuity in the spin department. Ghafari offers wrist-spin, the style where the ball is flicked out of the back of the hand and turns sharply, and his One-Day Cup form gives Durham a proven option for next summer's white-ball plans.
