Afghan-born cricketer Zainullah Ihsan is on the brink of making his Scotland ODI debut, completing an extraordinary journey from playing tape-ball cricket in Nangarhar to the international stage.

The 20-year-old fast bowler arrived in Glasgow as a refugee in 2022 following a difficult journey from Afghanistan through Europe. According to The National, he spoke almost no English when he arrived, knowing little more than “Hi” and “Hello”.

Originally from Nangarhar, Zainullah began his cricket journey playing tape-ball cricket in Afghanistan. Shortly after arriving in Scotland, a friend spotted his bowling ability and encouraged him to join a local cricket club.

He arrived in Scotland on June 1, 2022, and within two weeks was playing competitive cricket. In his first match, he claimed four wickets, quickly earning a place in the club’s first team.

His rapid rise continued from club cricket to regional competition, Scotland Under-19s and eventually the national side.

Zainullah was also included in Scotland’s squad for this year’s T20 World Cup in India after the team received a late invitation to replace Bangladesh. Although he did not make the starting XI during the tournament, he has already earned two T20 international caps.

He could now take another major step in his career by making his ODI debut as Scotland continue their Cricket World Cup League 2 campaign against Canada and the United Arab Emirates.

Scotland coach Owen Dawkins has described Zainullah as a player with “high potential”, highlighting his work ethic and the progress he has made through club, regional and Under-19 cricket.

His development has not been limited to the cricket field. When he arrived in Scotland, Zainullah had very limited English. Four years later, he is almost fluent while continuing his studies alongside other refugees from different countries.

His growing cricket career has also been a source of pride for his family in Afghanistan, although they initially struggled to believe that he had been selected to represent Scotland.

Zainullah said his father later encouraged him to continue working hard and to strive to become not only a better cricketer, but also a good person.

From tape-ball cricket in Nangarhar to the possibility of representing Scotland in ODI cricket, Zainullah’s rise is already a remarkable story of talent, determination and opportunity — and the young fast bowler has no intention of stopping here.