Suliman Safi

Suliman Safi is an extraordinary talent who skippered Afghanistan to the semi-finals of the ICC Under-19 World Cup in the West Indies (Jan/Feb 2022).

Safi was not only at the helm of his country’s most successful U19 campaign, but he was their chief run-scorer hitting 227 runs at 37.83 to include a century (111) against Zimbabwe.

The left-handed opener, who also notched up notable scores of 62 (v PNG), and 37 (v Australia), following his brilliant 73 (v India in the Asian Cup in Dec 2021) won plaudits aplenty for both his batting and leadership skills throughout the tournament.

His selection as captain for the World Cup came as no surprise given his exploits in his homeland. With maturity beyond his years, Safi has churned runs at every level played to date, from schoolboy cricket to provincial age groups, and senior domestic cricket.

Incredibly, Safi made his first-class debut as a 15-year-old (15y 100d) for Kabul in February 2019. He fell agonizingly short of his maiden century (99) in his second match, but brought up the accolade in his fifth, when showing his big-game temperament with an undefeated 101* in the Merwais Nika Provincial final against Kunduz, with Kabul coming out victors.

During the most recent Merwais Nika Regional 3-Day Trophy (June 2022), playing for Band Region, he once again starred, finishing as the second leading run-scorer (360 runs at 36.00), including another hundred.

Roll on the Ahmad Shah Abdali 4-Day Tournament (October 2022), and the young gun was at it again, finishing second on his side's run charts with 231 runs at 38.50.

After 11 first-class games Safi has racked up 606 runs at 37.87 and these numbers combined with his U19 World Cup exploits suggest he has an incredibly bright future.

Whilst known for his batting, Safi can lay claim to genuine all-rounder status. Not only does he bat, but he is a useful off-spinner as New Brighton can attest following his maiden season with them.

Last summer (2023), Safi enjoyed a productive stint in the Liverpool League for New Brighton. After a slow start acclimatising to British weather, he excelled with both bat and ball. Given his success, he is now eager to secure further opportunities, both in the UK and globally moving forward.