Jafer Chohan, a Yorkshire legspinner, is set to return home from England's white-ball tour in the Caribbean without making his debut, as team management has decided to prioritise his workload for the upcoming Lions tour of South Africa.
Last month, the 22-year-old Chohan made history as the first South Asian Cricket Academy (SACA) graduate to be named in an England squad. SACA, launched in 2021 by Dr. Tom Brown, was established to increase the representation of British South Asian players in professional cricket. Chohan's opportunity with Yorkshire arose after his release from Middlesex at age 17 in 2019.
Despite his call-up, Chohan will leave the England squad on Monday, just as the team relocates from Barbados to St. Lucia, where they recently took a 2-0 lead in the five-match T20I series with a seven-wicket win. Chohan’s departure also considers his commitments beyond the Lions tour, scheduled from November 20 to December 14 under head coach Andrew Flintoff, as he’s set to play for Sydney Sixers in the Big Bash League starting December 15.
Chohan’s release is partly due to England’s current depth in spin options, including Adil Rashid—his mentor at Yorkshire—as well as Rehan Ahmed, and other versatile players like Liam Livingstone, Jacob Bethell, Dan Mousley, and Will Jacks in the squad.
Although he won’t make his England debut just yet, Chohan’s rapid rise to England’s ranks remains a testament to his journey since 2022, when he was playing National Counties cricket with Berkshire. Reflecting on his journey, he acknowledged SACA’s role in reigniting his professional ambitions, and how it provided a path when he found himself outside the conventional system, allowing him to pursue his dream of becoming a pro cricketer.