| New Zealand | |
| 34 Years (21 Oct, 1988) | |
| Male | |
| Bombay (now Mumbai), Maharashtra, India | |
| bowler | |
| left-hand bat | |
| slow left-arm orthodox | |
| 2018 - 2021 |
| New Zealand A, Central Districts A, Central Districts, Auckland A, Auckland, New Zealand |
In the absence of Daniel Vettori, New Zealand was searching for a quality spinner to fill the void. Mitchell Santner seemed to have filled the void with his accuracy. His contributions with the bat gave him an X-factor. However, no one could count on an individual who never dreamt of representing New Zealand in the international arena well after 30. The fact that he got a call to the national side when he was having dinner showed how unexpected it was for Ajaz Patel.
...Read MoreIn the absence of Daniel Vettori, New Zealand was searching for a quality spinner to fill the void. Mitchell Santner seemed to have filled the void with his accuracy. His contributions with the bat gave him an X-factor. However, no one could count on an individual who never dreamt of representing New Zealand in the international arena well after 30. The fact that he got a call to the national side when he was having dinner showed how unexpected it was for Ajaz Patel.
As a kid growing up in Mumbai’s Jogeshwari area, it seemed a dream that Ajaz Patel would get a call-up to New Zealand after toiling for years in the domestic circuit. But, in the space of three years, Ajaz Patel has given New Zealand so much history that he may go down as the greatest in the business. It was Ajaz Patel that helped New Zealand break the 49-year jinx of not having beaten Pakistan in an away series. His five wickets in Abu Dhabi gave New Zealand a close four-run win in Tests. Ajaz Patel’s bowling in that series helped New Zealand win a series away against Pakistan after 49 years.
Three years later, he returned to the place where he was born. But, Ajaz Patel made it memorable beyond dreams. Against a quality side like India in Mumbai, Ajaz Patel joined Jim Laker and Anil Kumble in taking the perfect 10. His haul of 14 wickets, the best by a spinner against India in addition to his defiance in Kanpur made Ajaz Patel the ultimate favorite.
It was his variations that gave New Zealand a victory in England after 22 years. This included taking the crucial wicket of 2021 leading run-getter in Tests Joe Root cheaply in Edgbaston. At crucial moments, Ajaz Patel has delivered with both bat and ball. New Zealand has been greatly benefited from the efforts of Ajaz Patel in the last couple of years.
Ajaz Patel made his Twenty20 International debut on October 2018 against Pakistan in Abu Dhabi. In that same tour, he made his Test debut and took five wickets in Abu Dhabi to give New Zealand a memorable win.
Ajaz Patel has not yet played in the IPL. But, it is expected that he might be bought by a franchise in IPL 2022. The mega-auction and the need of a quality spinner for some teams might make Ajaz Patel a great buy.
Ajaz Patel was the leading wicket-taker in domestic cricket for three to four years. He was the main reason that Central Districts won the title in 2018. In his debut Test against Pakistan, he made an impact by taking 5/59 in a low-scoring thriller. He ended up with 13 wickets in the three-Test series to help New Zealand win the series. In 2019, Ajaz Patel took 5/89 against Sri Lanka in Galle. Despite New Zealand drawing the series 1-1, Patel had enhanced his reputation immensely. But, the crowning glory of his success will forever be the haul of 10/119 in Mumbai that changed his career. With 14 wickets in that match alone, Ajaz Patel became one of the best spinners from New Zealand. In Twenty20 Internationals, he has taken 11 wickets from seven matches. His best haul is 4/16 in Mirpur against Bangladesh before the ICC World T20 2021. In that five-match series in which New Zealand lost 2-3, Ajaz Patel ended with 10 wickets.
Ajaz Patel has taken three five-wicket hauls and a 10-wicket haul in his short Test career. Here are the stats.
| Haul | Opponent | Venue | Year |
| 10/119 | India | Mumbai | 2021 |
| 5/69 | Sri Lanka | Galle | 2019 |
| 5/59 | Pakistan | Abu Dhabi | 2018 |
Ajaz Patel has a net worth of USD 3 million. Most of his money comes from the New Zealand Central Contract which he gets on a yearly basis. His annual income is Rs 2 crore. There is no record of his brand endorsements.
Ajaz Patel’s Jersey Number is 24. Apart from New Zealand, he has also played County Cricket for Yorkshire.
Ajaz Patel was born on October 21, 1988. He was born in Mumbai. His star sign is Libra
Ajaz Patel did his schooling at Mount Mary School in Goregaon. He did his Graduation from Avondale College.
Ajaz Patel was coached by Dipak Patel, the New Zealand offspinner who revolutionized the sport of cricket by opening the bowling in the 1992 World Cup.
Ajaz Patel’s father is Yunus Patel, who worked as a refrigeration mechanic but is a businessman. His mother’s name is Shahnaz Patel and she is a school teacher. He has two sisters. Their names are Tanzeel and Sana.
Ajaz Patel is married to Nilofer Patel and they have a daughter. They were married on January 1, 2015.
Ajaz Patel is blessed with a daughter. Her name is Aaliyah Russell.
Ajaz Patel loves Indian and Chinese. He loves Chicken Lollypop with Schezwan sauce. He is also a big fan of chocolates.
Ajaz Patel’s height is 170 cms while his weight is 75 kgs. Ajaz Patel has a chest size of 41 inches and his waist size is 32 inches. His bicep size is 14 inches. He has a dark brown eye colour and his hair is black. Ajaz Patel is a Muslim and the family originally hails from Bharuch in Gujarat.
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