| Muzamil Sherzad | |
| Country: | Ireland |
| Birth Date: | 5 October 2002 |
| Birth Place: | Jalalabad, Nangarhar Province, Afghanistan |
| Batting: | Right-handed |
| Bowling: | Right-arm medium-fast |
| Role: | Bowler |
| Club1: | Leinster Lightning |
| Year1: | 2022 |
| Columns: | 1 |
| Column1: | List A |
| Matches1: | 1 |
| Runs1: | – |
| Bat Avg1: | – |
| 100S/50S1: | –/– |
| Top Score1: | – |
| Deliveries1: | 18 |
| Wickets1: | 0 |
| Bowl Avg1: | – |
| Fivefor1: | – |
| Tenfor1: | – |
| Best Bowling1: | – |
| Catches/Stumpings1: | 0/– |
| Date: | 3 May 2022 |
| Source: | http://www.espncricinfo.com/ci/content/player/1278229.html Cricinfo |
Muzamil Sherzad (; born 5 October 2002) is an Afghan-Irish cricketer who plays for Leinster Lightning.[1] Originally from Afghanistan,[2] Sherzad played for the Ireland under-19 cricket team at the 2022 ICC Under-19 Cricket World Cup in the West Indies.[3]
Originally from Jalalabad in Afghanistan, Sherzad played tape ball cricket in the streets.[4] In 2017, his mother paid for him to travel around to get to Ireland so he could work with his uncle.[4] The journey took the best part of nine months, with him crossing through Pakistan, Iran, Turkey, Bulgaria, Serbia, Croatia, Italy and France with other immigrants.[5] While in Croatia, he got into a truck to get to Milan, Italy.[5] From Cherbourg in Northern France, he got into another truck to get onto a ferry.[6] When he arrived in Dublin, he was forced to sleep in a park overnight, as he did not know where his uncle lived.[6] After getting to a refugee centre, Sherzad was placed with a family via an agency, until they located his uncle in Tipperary.[7]
In 2019, Sherzad saw an advert by Cricket Ireland looking for fast bowlers in a talent programme, which he signed up to through Facebook.[7] Albert van der Merwe, the talent pathway manager for Cricket Ireland, was impressed by Sherzad's bowling, and invited him back for further sessions.[8] Van der Merwe was unaware of Sherzad's story, but got to know it once he had joined the academy.[8]
In December 2021, Sherzad was named in Ireland's 15-man squad for the 2022 ICC Under-19 Cricket World Cup.[9] On 29 January 2022, in the Plate semi-final against Zimbabwe, Sherzad took a five-wicket haul, with five wickets for twenty runs.[10] Ireland won the match by eight wickets,[11] to advance to the Plate Final against the United Arab Emirates.[12] During the match, at the Queen's Park Oval in Port of Spain,[13] a 5.1 magnitude earthquake struck during Zimbabwe's innings.[14]
In May 2022, Sherzad was named in Leinster Lightning's squad for the opening match of the 2022 Inter-Provincial Cup, against the North West Warriors at Sydney Parade in Dublin.[15] He made his List A debut in the match, where he bowled three overs, but did not take a wicket.[16]