Biography

To search a quality spinner in England is not an easy task but they surely have a few exciting prospect playing in their domestic circuit. Azeem Rafiq, a young off-spinner from Pakistan moved to UK in 2001 and has featured in England's Under-15 and Under-17 sides. He also led the Britishers in the Under-19 World Cup and became the first Yorkshire player from an Asian background to captain an England cricket side at any level.

With the presence of Adil Rashid in the side, Azeem Rafiq found it difficult to break through in the playing XI consistently but once the White Rose decided to play two spinners in limited-overs, Rafiq became a consistent member in the starting eleven. He had a fabulous 2012 season where he helped Yorkshire to reach the final of the domestic Twenty20 for the first time and the national selectors rewarded him by picking him for the England Performance Programme squad to tour India. Rafiq was also elected in the Yorkshire squad to partner Adil Rashid in the Champions League T20, 2012.