The article provides a concise breakdown of the bowling records and milestones achieved by Afghanistan’s national cricket team in the Test format, with a focus on their premier spinner, Rashid Khan.
Most Test Wickets for Afghanistan
| Player | Innings | Wickets | Best Bowling (Innings) | Average | Strike Rate | 5W/10W |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rashid Khan | 11 | 45 | 7/66 | 20.44 | 41.4 | 5/3 |
| Amir Hamza | 8 | 18 | 6/75 | 28.72 | 54.6 | 2/0 |
| Yamin Ahmadzai | 14 | 16 | 3/41 | 32 | 62 | 0/0 |
| Zahir Khan | 10 | 15 | 3/59 | 46.6 | 60 | 0/0 |
| Naveed Zadran | 6 | 11 | 4/83 | 30 | 44.9 | 0/0 |
| Zia-ur-Rehman | 8 | 11 | 5/64 | 36.72 | 72 | 1/0 |
| Nijat Masood | 6 | 9 | 5/79 | 34.22 | 46.5 | 1/0 |
| Mohammad Nabi | 5 | 8 | 3/36 | 31.75 | 68.2 | 0/0 |
| Ziaur Rahman | 1 | 7 | 7/97 | 13.85 | 27.4 | 1/0 |
| AM Ghazanfar | 2 | 4 | 3/127 | 40.25 | 54.5 | 0/0 |
Explore More Afghanistan Records
Most Test Runs for Afghanistan
Most Test Centuries for Afghanistan
Most Test Double Centuries by Afghanistan Batters
Most Test Wickets for Afghanistan
Most ODI Wickets for Afghanistan
Key Insights on Leading Wicket Takers in Afghanistan’s Test Cricket History
Rashid Khan’s Dominance in Five and Ten-Wicket Hauls
Rashid Khan is the lead wicket-taker for Afghanistan in their short Test cricket history.
He is the only Afghan bowler to take five five-wicket hauls in Tests.
Rashid is also the only one to bag multiple ten-wicket hauls for them, having registered his other two ten-fors against Zimbabwe, the most for Afghanistan against a Test team.
The wrist spinner has also recorded the best Test haul, returning with 11 for 104 – 5 for 55 and 6 for 49 – against Bangladesh in the 2019 Chattogram Test.
Elite Individual Bowling Records and Statistical Milestones
Rashid Khan has registered the best bowling figures in a Test innings for Afghanistan, claiming 7 for 66 against Zimbabwe in the 2025 Bulawayo Test.
He has taken the most wickets for Afghanistan in a calendar year in Tests, having picked up 21 scalps in 2019.
Rashid is the only Afghan Atalan to average below 25 and have a strike rate below 45 in Tests (minimum 500 balls bowled).
He is the only Afghan bowler to grab 10 or more wickets in four different countries in Test cricket, and has taken at least one five-wicket haul in each of those nations.
Afghanistan Bowlers with Five-Wicket Hauls on Test Debut
Left-arm spinner Amir Hamza is the only other Afghanistan bowler to have multiple five-wicket hauls in Tests.
Hamza, Nijat Masood, and Ziaur Rahman have picked up a five-for each on their Test debuts for Afghanistan.
Rahman’s figures of 7 for 97 against Zimbabwe in the 2025 Harare Test are the best by an Afghan bowler on his debut in this format.
