Azmatullah Omarzai

{{Infobox cricketer

| name = Azmatullah Omarzai

| image =

| country = Afghanistan

| international = true

| internationalspan = 2021–present

| fullname =

| birth_date = {{birth date and age|2000|3|24|df=yes}}

| birth_place = Kunar, Afghanistan

| death_date =

| death_place =

| nickname =

| batting = Right-handed

| bowling = Right-arm fast-medium

| role = All-rounder

| onetest = true

| testdebutdate = 26 December

| testdebutyear = 2024

| testdebutagainst = Zimbabwe

| testcap = 35

| lasttestdate =

| lasttestyear =

| lasttestagainst =

| odidebutdate = 21 January

| odidebutyear = 2021

| odidebutagainst = Ireland

| odicap = 49

| lastodidate = 28 February

| lastodiyear = 2025

| lastodiagainst = Australia

| odishirt = 9

| T20Idebutdate = 3 March

| T20Idebutyear = 2022

| T20Idebutagainst = Bangladesh

| T20Icap = 44

| lastT20Idate = 14 December

| lastT20Iyear = 2024

| lastT20Iagainst = Zimbabwe

| T20Ishirt = 9

| club1 = Mis Ainak Region

| year1 = 2017–present

| clubnumber1 = 99

| club2 = Peshawar Zalmi

| year2 = 2023

| clubnumber2 = 100

| club3 = Rangpur Riders

| year3 = 2023

|club4=Gujarat Titans

|year4=2024

|club5 = Jaffna Kings

|year5 = 2024

|club6 = Punjab Kings

|year6 = 2025–present

| columns = 3

| column1 = Test

| matches1 = 1

| runs1 = 0

| bat avg1 = 0.00

| 100s/50s1 = 0/0

| top score1 = 0

| deliveries1 = 132

| wickets1 = 1

| bowl avg1 = 74.00

| fivefor1 = 0

| tenfor1 = 0

| best bowling1 = 1/66

| catches/stumpings1 = 0/–

| column2 = ODI

| matches2 = 39

| runs2 = 1,033

| bat avg2 = 46.95

| 100s/50s2 = 1/8

| top score2 = 149*

| deliveries2 = 1,209

| wickets2 = 37

| bowl avg2 = 30.05

| fivefor2 = 1

| tenfor2 = 0

| best bowling2 = 5/58

| catches/stumpings2 = 8/–

| column3 = T20I

| matches3 = 47

| runs3 = 474

| bat avg3 = 14.36

| 100s/50s3 = 0/0

| top score3 = 34

| deliveries3 = 670

| wickets3 = 31

| bowl avg3 = 30.16

| fivefor3 = 0

| tenfor3 = 0

| best bowling3 = 4/9

| catches/stumpings3 = 18/–

| date = 9 March 2025

| source = http://www.espncricinfo.com/ci/content/player/819429.html Cricinfo}}

Azmatullah Omarzai (Pashto: عظمت الله عمرزی born 24 March 2000) is an Afghan cricketer from Nurgal District of Kunar province in eastern Afghanistan. Azmatullah started playing cricket when he was 14 years old. He won the ICC Men's ODI Cricketer of the Year award 2024.{{Cite web |last=icc |date=2025-01-27 |title=All-rounder named ICC Men's ODI Cricketer of the Year |url=https://www.icc-cricket.com/news/all-rounder-named-icc-men-s-odi-cricketer-of-the-year |access-date=2025-02-28 |website=www.icc-cricket.com |language=en}}

He made his international debut for the Afghanistan cricket team in January 2021.{{Cite web|url=http://www.espncricinfo.com/ci/content/player/819429.html |title=Azmatullah Omarzai |access-date=10 August 2017 |work=ESPN Cricinfo}} He was part of the Afghan team in the 2023 Cricket World Cup.

He was awarded the ICC Men's ODI Cricketer of the Year in the 2024 ICC Awards.{{cite web |title=All-rounder named ICC Men's ODI Cricketer of the Year |url=https://www.icc-cricket.com/news/all-rounder-named-icc-men-s-odi-cricketer-of-the-year |access-date=27 January 2025 |work=International Cricket Council}}

Domestic career

He made his List A debut for Mis Ainak Region in the 2017 Ghazi Amanullah Khan Regional One Day Tournament on 10 August 2017.{{cite web |url=http://www.espncricinfo.com/ci/engine/match/1115760.html |title=2nd Match, Ghazi Amanullah Khan Regional One Day Tournament at Khost, Aug 10, 2017 |access-date=10 August 2017 |work=ESPN Cricinfo}} He made his first-class debut for Speen Ghar Region in the 2018 Ahmad Shah Abdali 4-day Tournament on 25 March 2018.{{cite web|url=http://www.espncricinfo.com/ci/engine/match/1137701.html |title=14th Match, Alokozay Ahmad Shah Abdali 4-day Tournament at Kunar, Mar 25-28 2018 |publisher=ESPN Cricinfo |access-date=27 March 2018}}

In September 2018, he was named in Paktia's squad in the first edition of the Afghanistan Premier League tournament.{{cite web|url=https://www.crictracker.com/afghanistan-premier-league-2018-all-you-need-to-know-from-the-player-draft/ |title=Afghanistan Premier League 2018 – All you need to know from the player draft |work=CricTracker |access-date=10 September 2018|date=10 September 2018 }} He made his Twenty20 debut for Paktia Panthers in the 2018–19 Afghanistan Premier League on 7 October 2018.{{cite web |url=http://www.espncricinfo.com/ci/engine/match/1160572.html |title=4th Match (D/N), Afghanistan Premier League at Sharjah, Oct 7 2018 |access-date=7 October 2018 |work=ESPN Cricinfo}} In September 2020, he was the joint winner of the player of the tournament award in the 2020 Shpageeza Cricket League.{{cite web|url=https://www.cricket.af/post/ayobi-kabul-eagles-lift-shpageeza-title-in-a-thrilling-final/english |title=Ayobi Kabul Eagles lift Shpageeza Title in a thrilling Final |work=Afghanistan Cricket Board |access-date=16 September 2020}}

International career

In December 2017, he was named in Afghanistan's squad for the 2018 Under-19 Cricket World Cup.{{cite web|url=http://www.espncricinfo.com/story/_/id/21701404/mujeeb-zadran-afghanistan-squad-19-world-cup |title=Mujeeb Zadran in Afghanistan squad for Under-19 World Cup |access-date=7 December 2017 |work=ESPN Cricinfo|date=7 December 2017 }} He was part of Afghanistan's under-23 team in the 2018 ACC Emerging Teams Asia Cup.{{cite web|url=http://www.espncricinfo.com/ci/content/squad/1167699.html |title=Afghanistan Under-23s Squad |work=ESPN Cricinfo |access-date=3 December 2018}} In November 2019, he was named in Afghanistan's squad for the 2019 ACC Emerging Teams Asia Cup in Bangladesh.{{cite web|url=https://www.cricket.af/post/afghanistan-emerging-travels-to-bangladesh-for-asia-cup |title=Afghanistan Emerging travels to Bangladesh for Asia Cup |work=Afghanistan Cricket Board |access-date=12 November 2019}} In February 2020, he was named in Afghanistan's Twenty20 International (T20I) squad for their series against Ireland.{{cite web|url=https://www.cricket.af/post/afghanistan-squad-announced-for-series-against-ireland/english |title=Afghanistan squad announced for series against Ireland |work=Afghanistan Cricket Board |access-date=6 February 2020}} In January 2021, he was named in Afghanistan's One Day International (ODI) squad for their series against Ireland.{{cite web |title=Afghanistan announce 16-member squad for ODI series against Ireland |url= http://www.cricbuzz.com/cricket-news/115511/afghanistan-announce-16-member-squad-for-odi-series-against-ireland |work=Cricbuzz |access-date=2 January 2021}} He made his ODI debut for Afghanistan, against Ireland, on 21 January 2021.{{cite web|url=https://www.espncricinfo.com/ci/engine/match/1244013.html |title=1st ODI, Abu Dhabi, Jan 21 2021, Ireland tour of United Arab Emirates |work=ESPN Cricinfo |access-date=21 January 2021}}

In March 2021, the Afghanistan Cricket Board confirmed that he was pending selection for the T20I matches against Zimbabwe,{{cite web|url=https://cricket.af/post/afghanistan-t20i-squad-announced-albeit-visa-issues-for-some-players- |title=Afghanistan T20I squad announced albeit visa issues for Some Players |work=Afghanistan Cricket Board |access-date=14 March 2021}} once his visa issues had been resolved.{{cite web|url=https://www.espncricinfo.com/story/afg-vs-zim-t20i-series-mujeeb-ur-rahman-gulbadin-naib-wait-on-visa-issue-1254985 |title=Mujeeb Ur Rahman, Gulbadin Naib wait on 'visa issue' ahead of T20I series |work=ESPN Cricinfo |access-date=16 March 2021}} In February 2022, he was named in Afghanistan's T20I squad for their series against Bangladesh.{{cite web|url=https://www.cricbuzz.com/cricket-news/121057/nabi-included-in-odi-squad-for-bangladesh-series |title=Nabi included in ODI squad for Bangladesh series |work=CricBuzz |access-date=14 February 2022}} He made his T20I debut on 3 March 2022, for Afghanistan against Bangladesh.{{cite web|url=https://www.espncricinfo.com/ci/engine/match/1299832.html |title=1st T20I (D/N), Mirpur, Mar 3 2022, Afghanistan tour of Bangladesh |work=ESPN Cricinfo |access-date=3 March 2022}}

In May 2024, he was named in Afghanistan’s squad for the 2024 ICC Men's T20 World Cup tournament.{{Cite web |title=Afghanistan’s squad for the ICC Men’s T20I World Cup |url=https://www.scorewaves.com/news-details/afghanistan-squad-icc-mens-t20i-world-cup-2024 |access-date=2024-06-07 |website=ScoreWaves |language=en}} In January 2025, Omarzai was named in Afghanistan's squad for the team's first-ever ICC Champions Trophy.{{Cite web |title=Afghanistan Squad - ICC Champions Trophy, 2025 Squad |url=https://www.espncricinfo.com/series/icc-champions-trophy-2024-25-1459031/afghanistan-squad-1468768/series-squads |access-date=2025-02-26 |website=ESPNcricinfo |language=en}}