"It feels like an absolute dream to be selected."
Jafer Chohan is a surprise call-up for England’s white-ball tour of the West Indies in October and November 2024.
It is the leg-spinner’s first England call-up and he has taken 22 wickets in 23 T20 Blast matches for Yorkshire, including 17 in 10 games in 2024.
The 22-year-old’s call-up is a landmark moment as Chohan is the first South Asian Cricket Academy (SACA) graduate to be named in any England squad.
It has been a whirlwind two years for the London-born cricketer.
In 2022, he was playing club cricket in Loughborough and after failing to sign a contract with Middlesex, Chohan thought his dream of playing professionally was over.
But his work in a net bowling session for England’s T20 squad caught Joe Root’s attention.
Jafer Chohan was then introduced to SACA, which led to a first deal with Yorkshire.
After making an impact in the T20 Blast, Chohan was selected as a wildcard pick by Southern Brave for The Hundred 2023.
He said: “It feels like an absolute dream to be selected. It’s what I’ve worked for my whole life.
“For me, this is a really good opportunity to be around some of the best players in the world, learn as much as I can and just really sharpen up my game as much as possible.”
Jafer Chohan credited SACA for giving him a second chance and for showing that the traditional route of progress from a county academy set-up is not the only option for players.
After struggling to initially secure a county deal, Chohan had to learn to love cricket again.
He did so by studying leg-spin on YouTube and gaining helpful advice from England’s Adil Rashid and his brother Amar.
Chohan added: “My skillset is a very unique one and a bit different to what England has had before.
“I feel very confident in my game and I like to express myself as a person with how I bowl and I think that works to my strength.
“Being in this new environment will be a really good opportunity to thrive.”
Jafer Chohan joins Dan Mousley and John Turner as the other uncapped players in the 14-man squad for three one-day internationals and five T20s against West Indies.
The first of the three ODIs takes place on October 31.
A further two players, who are yet to be named, will join the tour from the England Test squad, who finish their tour of Pakistan on October 28.
England drew the T20 series against Australia but lost the ODI series 3-2, as they continue to rebuild after the departure of head coach Matthew Mott, the retirement of all-rounder Moeen Ali and the absence of experienced players including Jonny Bairstow, Joe Root, Ben Stokes and Mark Wood.
Marcus Trescothick will be the head coach for the time being.
Brendon McCullum will take over in January 2025.
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