Shahid Ahmadzai

Shahid Ahmadzai (born 15 November 1988) is an Afghan-Canadian cricketer who plays for the Canada national cricket team. He debuted for Canada in 2017, having earlier played for the Afghanistan national under-19 cricket team. He made an asylum claim in Canada in 2009 and was granted permanent residency in 2019.

Early life Ahmadzai grew up as a refugee in Peshawar, Pakistan. According to his asylum claim in Canada, his father and older brother were killed in 2002 by relatives associated with the Taliban. After his family returned to Afghanistan, he attended Sayed Noor Mohammad Shah Mina High School in Kabul. He played street cricket from the age of 12 and was selected in the country's under-15, under-17 and under-19 national squads. In September 2019, he was named in Canada's squad for the 2019 Malaysia Cricket World Cup Challenge League A tournament. The following month, he was named in Canada's squad for the 2019–20 Regional Super50 tournament in the West Indies. He made his List A debut on 8 November 2019, for Canada in the 2019–20 Regional Super50 tournament.

In September 2023, he was named in Canada's T20I squad for the 2023 ICC Men's T20 World Cup Americas Qualifier. He made his Twenty20 International debut for Canada on 4 October 2023 against Cayman Islands in the 2023 ICC Men's T20 World Cup Americas Qualifier. He did not bat or bowl on debut. He made his One Day International debut against Nepal on 8 February 2024.