30 Mind-Blowing Facts We Bet You Never Knew Before About Mohammad Nabi

27 June 2019, 6:34 pm EDT By Ruby Karnick

Mohammad Nabi, world renowned as the right-handed batsman and off break bowler from the Afghanistan International cricket team, was the first player from the country to be selected in the Indian Premier League player auction. Here are some facts about the Afghanistan cricketer player:

Nabi is a hard hitting, off-spinning all-rounder who has captained Afghanistan through many of their games, from obscurity of World Cricket League’s Division Five in 2008 to the One-Day Internationals status they enjoy today.
He was born Mohammad Nabi Essa Khel on January 1,985, at Logar, Afghanistan, in a fairly well-to-do family.
He spent his childhood in Logar, the eastern province on the banks of river Logar, before his family, landed gentry and politically influential, crossed over to a refugee camp in Peshawar.
Honing his cricketing skill in the refugee camp in Peshawar, he was forced into bowling spin, for he wanted to be noticed and wanted to be different. Most of his ilk in the camp aspired to bowl fast.
His first competitive match was playing for Afghanistan against Rahim Yar Khan Cricket Association in the erstwhile Cornelius Trophy in January 2003 and top scored with 61 runs in the first innings and claimed a wicket for 53 runs in 12 overs for losing cause.
On March 2006, in the match between Afghanistan and MCC team of predominantly made of minor county cricketers from England, Nabi top scored with 116 runs of 39 balls out of team’s score of 356 for 7. He hit 16 massive sixes and in reply, the MCC were all out for 185.
The then Marylebone Cricket Club president Robin Marlar, selected him and Hamid Hassan in the MCC’s Young Cricketer program to play in England.
On June 29, 2006, Nabi was member of MCC team that played One Day game against European XI at Rotterdam. The MCC won the match by 5 wickets with Nabi contributing just 19 of 36 balls.
He made his first-class debut playing for Marylebone Cricket Club against Sri Lanka at Arundel in July 2007. He top scored with 43 and 18 and also contributed with his off-spin claiming 1 wicket for 47 runs in 15 overs.
Nabi went on to play domestic cricket in Pakistan for Pakistan Customs for the Quaid-E-Trophy in 2007-08 season. Nabi’s performance reflected his team’s fortune, as he scored just 100 runs in 8 innings at an average of 12.50.

Afghanistan won the ICC World Cricket Division Five title against Jersey on May 31, 2008, with Nabi, contributing with his restrictive bowling in skittling out Jersey for paltry 80 all out in 39.5 overs. He had an analysis of 1 for 9 in 7 overs with 3 maidens.
He played in all the seven matches in the tournament aggregating 108 runs at an average of 15.42 with 48 as the highest score. He also took 10 wickets for 67 runs in 23.4 overs.
A fine spell of spin bowling from Nabi helped Afghanistan clinch the World Cricket League Division 4 with 57 run victory against Hong Kong on October 11, 2008. He took 4 for 9 of 9 overs with 3 maidens to skittle out Hong Kong for 122 all out.
He was named the Player of the Tournament for his all-round game. He aggregated 154 runs in 6 innings and also claimed 14 wickets for 75 runs in 31 overs apart from 2 catches.
Nabi was the top-wicket taker for Afghanistan in his quest to win the World Cricket League Division 3. He took 11 wickets for 130 runs in 35.2 overs apart from below par 79 run in 6 innings with his bat. Afghanistan secured a birth for the World Cup 2011 qualifiers.
Nabi scored his maiden One Day International half century against Scotland during 5th Place Playoff on April 19, 2009. He top scored with 58 runs in 64 balls with 3 fours and 3 sixes to earn Man of the Match. Afghanistan won the match and earned ODI status.
In August 2009, Nabi made his first-class century for Afghanistan against Zimbabwe in the 2009-10 ICC Intercontinental Cup. He scored 102 of 139 balls with 13 fours and two sixes. He also claimed 3 wickets for 90 runs in the first innings and 2 for 54 in the second innings.
Afghanistan went on to win the 2009-10 ICC Intercontinental Cup, with Nabi, being the second highest wicket taker, for his team. He claimed 22 wickets in 14 innings and also contributed with bat by scoring 366 runs at an average of 36.60.
Nabi was the leading wicket taker with 13 wickets in 6 matches and also scored 70 runs in 5 innings to help Afghanistan win the 2010 ICC World Twenty20 Qualifier.
In November 2010, he replaced Nawroz Mangal as the captain of Afghanistan ahead of 2010 Asian Games. Afghanistan won the silver medal going down to Bangladesh in the finals.

In April 2015, he stepped down as the captain of Afghanistan national side after serving for more than two years. Under his captaincy, Afghanistan finished second in the World Cricket League Championship in October 2013.
In the 2015 World Cup, Nabi managed 90 runs in six innings at an average of 15 and took three wickets with his off spin at an economy rate of 5.71. Afghanistan finished sixth in their group with a solitary win against Scotland.
On October 18, 2015, Nabi scored his ODI maiden century in the 2ndODIs against Zimbabwe at Bulawayo. He scored 116 runs in 121 balls and also took a wicket to power Afghanistan to victory. He was promoted up the order to number 3. He was named Man of the Series with Afghanistan winning the series 3-2, to record first ever time an associated team won a bilateral series over full member.
In the 2016 ICC World Twenty20, Nabi’s all-round show helped Afghanistan to advance to Super 10 Round and almost caused an upset against England. He was the leading wicket taker with 12 and scored 105 runs in 7 matches and won two Man of the Match award.
He was part of Afghanistan’s inaugural Test match against India in Bangalore in June 2018. He was the top scorer in the first innings with 24 runs and took a wicket as Afghanistan folded up in two days.
Nabi starred with both bat and ball as Afghanistan defeated Ireland in the Twenty20 series in 2019. He had a score of 49, 17, and 81 apart from 2 wickets in the series to help Afghanistan win the series 3-0. He was named the Man of the Series.
His 2 for 33 and 52 runs in the 2019 World Cup match against India on June 22, 2019, almost threatened an upset win, before Bumrah’s magic and Shami’s hat-trick saved it for India.
Nabi is the first player from Afghanistan to be signed up in the Indian Premier League. He has been a regular feature in the Twenty20 franchise tournaments around the world.
He was twice found guilty of breaching the ICC Code of Conduct in international cricket matches. He once claimed the ball was in play to run out Ed Joyce of Ireland when it had crossed the boundary and in March 2017, he celebrated taking a catch and appealed to the umpire despite ball having hit the ground.
Nabi holds the record for the fastest fifty by an Afghan cricketer in Twenty20 Internationals. He is the first Afghan cricketer to have appeared in 100 ODIs and first to take 100 ODI wickets.