Saad Bin Zafar is a Pakistani-Canadian cricketer born on November 10, 1986, in Gujranwala, Punjab, Pakistan.
He is a left-handed all-rounder who bowls slow left-arm orthodox spin and is widely regarded as one of Canada’s most dependable cricketers.
Standing as the oldest member of Canada’s squad for the 2026 T20 World Cup at 39 years of age, Zafar has become a constant presence in Canadian cricket, having represented the national team since his debut in 2008.
He grew up in Lahore playing tape-ball cricket and idolized Wasim Akram, dreaming of becoming a left-arm fast bowler.
At the age of 17, he moved to Canada to pursue his education, completing a Bachelor’s in Business Administration at the University of Toronto Scarborough.
Siblings
Saad is the eldest of five siblings.
He has one brother named Moaz Bin Zafar and three sisters: Annie Arsalan Khan, who is married to Arsalan Khan and lives in the United Kingdom; Tayyaba Zafar; and Hafsa Zafar, who works as a makeup artist and is married to Farhan Hashmi.
In interviews, Zafar has spoken warmly about his family’s support throughout his cricketing journey.
During the 2024 T20 World Cup match between Canada and Pakistan, his family faced a unique dilemma, having grown up supporting Pakistan but finding themselves rooting for Canada to support Zafar.
He recalled that despite their Pakistani background, “on that day, they were all supporting Canada and rooting for me”.
His mother was present at a Global T20 Canada match when Shahid Afridi, the legendary Pakistani all-rounder, approached her to praise her son’s performance, a moment Zafar described as deeply meaningful.
Career
Zafar’s international career began in 2008 when he made his debut for Canada against Bermuda in the ICC Intercontinental Cup, taking four wickets including that of Bermuda’s captain.
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However, his early career was marked by a premature call-up followed by a swift drop.
He admitted that when he first received the national call-up, he “wasn’t really ready for it” and was dropped after just a handful of games.
He would wait until 2015 for a recall, using those five years to sharpen his craft and become, in his words, “a student of the game”.
Upon his return, Zafar established himself as a consistent performer for Canada across formats. He made his T20I debut in August 2019 against the Cayman Islands.
In franchise cricket, he gained prominence through the Global T20 Canada tournament, where he was selected by the Vancouver Knights in the inaugural 2018 season.
His standout moment came in the 2018 final, where he took 2 wickets for 26 runs and scored an unbeaten 79 off 48 balls, forging a crucial 126-run partnership with Rassie van der Dussen to guide the Knights to victory.
He was named Man of the Match for his all-round performance.
Zafar has also played in the Caribbean Premier League for the St Lucia Zouks and St Kitts and Nevis Patriots.
He has represented teams in various franchise leagues including the Qatar T10 League, Nepal Premier League, and Minor League Cricket.
In 2022, he was appointed captain of Canada’s T20I squad.
In 2024, he led Canada to its historic debut at the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup.
Under his captaincy, Canada achieved a landmark victory over Ireland, a Test-playing nation, with Zafar’s arm ball to Harry Tector proving pivotal in defending a modest total.
Accolades
Zafar’s most celebrated achievement came in November 2021 during the T20 World Cup Americas Qualifiers against Panama.
He bowled a remarkable spell of 4-4-0-2, becoming the first player in men’s T20I history to bowl four maiden overs without conceding a single run.
This world record stood alone until Lockie Ferguson emulated the feat in 2024.
He also holds the distinction of being the highest wicket-taker for Canada in T20Is, with 72 wickets in 63 innings as of early 2026.
Beyond his world record, Zafar has earned numerous Man of the Match awards across international and franchise cricket.
He was instrumental in Canada’s victory over Ireland at the 2024 T20 World Cup, which stands as the country’s first T20 World Cup win and a significant milestone in Canadian cricket history.
In 2025, he became the first Canadian cricketer to reach 100 international wickets.
He is also the highest wicket-taker in Global T20 Canada history and has been nicknamed “Vettori” in Canadian club cricket circles for his left-arm spin bowling.
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