 Patel playing for Durham in 2023 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Personal information | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Ajaz Yunus Patel | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Born | (1988-10-21)21 October 1988 (age 37) Mumbai, Maharashtra, India | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Height | 5 ft 6 in (168 cm)[1] | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Batting | Left-handed | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Bowling | Slow left-arm orthodox | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Role | Bowler | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| International information | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| National side |
| |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Test debut (cap 274) | 16 November 2018 v Pakistan | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Last Test | 18 December 2025 v West Indies | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| T20I debut (cap 79) | 31 October 2018 v Pakistan | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Last T20I | 10 September 2021 v Bangladesh | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| T20I shirt no. | 24 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Domestic team information | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Years | Team | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2012/13–present | Central Districts | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2019 | Yorkshire | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2022 | Glamorgan | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2023 | Durham | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Career statistics | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Source:ESPNcricinfo,22 December 2025 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Ajaz Yunus Patel (born 21 October 1988) is a New Zealandcricketer who plays forCentral Districts in domestic cricket.[2] He emigrated with his family fromMumbai when he was eight years old, and was formerly a left-arm seam bowler.[3] Patel is aslow left-arm orthodox spin bowler.
He made his international debut for theNew Zealand cricket team in October 2018.[4] He was the firstMuslim from New Zealand to play for the national team.[5] The following month, he made hisTest debut for New Zealand, taking five wickets in the second innings.[6] In May 2020,New Zealand Cricket awarded him with a central contract, ahead of the 2020–21 season.[7][8]
In December 2021, in the second Testagainst India, Patel became the third bowler in Test cricket to take allten wickets in an innings.Jim Laker andAnil Kumble were the others to do so.[9] However, New Zealand still met with a heavy defeat in the match. This makes Patel the only one of the three to end up on the losing side after this achievement.
Born inMumbai, India into aGujarati Muslim family, Patel is a practising Muslim.[5]
Patel made hisList A debut on 27 December 2015 in the2015–16 Ford Trophy.[10] He took the most wickets in the2015–16 Plunket Shield season, with 43 dismissals.[11] He was also the leading wicket-taker in thefollowing season, with 44 dismissals.[12]
In April 2018, Patel was named the Men's Domestic Player of the Year at the New Zealand Cricket Awards.[13] He finished the2017–18 Plunket Shield season as the leading wicket-taker, with 48 dismissals in nine matches.[14] In June 2018, he was awarded a contract with Central Districts for the2018–19 season.[15] In July 2022, Patel was signed byGlamorgan to play in their final four matches of theCounty Championship in England, he took a total of 14 wickets.[16]
In July 2018, Patel was named in New Zealand'sTest squad for their seriesagainst Pakistan.[17][18] In October 2018, he was named in New Zealand'sTwenty20 International (T20I) squad, also for their series against Pakistan.[19] He made his T20I debut for New Zealand againstPakistan on 31 October 2018.[20] During the same tour, he was also added to New Zealand'sOne Day International (ODI) squad, but he did not play in the ODI series.[21] He made his Test debut for New Zealand againstPakistan on 16 November 2018.[22] He took five wickets in the second innings, with New Zealand winning by four runs,[23] and was named the man of the match.[24] In August 2021, Patel was named in New Zealand's ODI squad for theirtour of Pakistan.[25]
In November 2021, Patel was named in New Zealand's Test squad for theirtwo-match series in India.[26] The first Test finished in a draw late on day five,[27] with Patel taking 2/90 in the first innings, and 1/60 in the second innings of the match.[28] The second Test started on 3 December 2021, with Patel taking allten wickets in the first innings of the match, finishing with figures of 10/119 from 47.5 overs.[29] Patel became the third bowler, afterJim Laker in 1956 andAnil Kumble in 1999, to take all ten wickets in an innings of a Test match.[30] In the second innings, Patel took a further four wickets,[31] finishing the match with 14/225, the best bowling figures in a Test match against India.[32]
In November 2023, he was selected in New Zealand's squad for the test series against Bangladesh.[33] In the first Test, he picked up 6 wickets across the two innings.[34] In the second Test, he picked up 8 wickets across two innings.[35]
During theNew Zealand tour of India, Patel was madePlayer of the Match in the third and final Test for his 5/103 & 6/57, helping New Zealand win the series 3-0 (3), India's first whitewash at home.[36]
"I decided that being 5 foot 6 wasn't quite going to cut it at the next level," he told Stuff in July when first named in the test squad.
