The Canadian men’s cricket team is distinctively unique — much like the nation it represents. Forces that struggle to coexist elsewhere often emerge here as emblems of harmony and brotherhood in this dressing room.
For instance, leading the team is a 23-year-old youngster, Dilpreet Bajwa, who hails from Batala in Punjab. And the most experienced player of the team, who is also Canada’s leading wicket-taker across all formats with 107 scalps — Saad Bin Zafar — hails from Gujranwala in Punjab.
They speak the same language, laugh at the same jokes, and grieve the same defeats. They are both Punjabis — except Bajwa belongs to Indian Punjab, while Bin Zafar hails from Pakistani Punjab.
In this unique team, Saad Bin Zafar, who has spent the first 17 years of his life in Gujranwala, can say without hesitation that he has learned more about the mental dimensions of cricket from Virat Kohli’s interviews than from anyone else. He admits that while he relished the experience of bowling to Babar Azam, the chance to bowl to Kohli would have been an incomparable moment to treasure.
Ahead of Canada’s last group stage match at the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026, where they will take on Afghanistan, the left-arm spinner has a candid and exclusive conversation with The Quint.
Here are the excerpts:
Your WhatsApp DP is a picture with Babar Azam from the match between Canada and Pakistan at the 2024 T20 World Cup. Is that the most memorable match of your career?
Yes, it is the most memorable match of my career so far. Actually, my dream was to bowl to Virat Kohli, and it would have happened at the last T20 World Cup, but unfortunately the match was washed out by rain. But it was a great feeling to play against Pakistan, since I have spent 17 years of my life there. I also got a chance to speak to Babar Azam after the game and pick his brain.
You have always said that you're a big Virat Kohli fan. Though you didn't get to bowl at him, have you had the opportunity of speaking with him?
Though the match did not happen, I got a chance to speak with Virat Kohli. Initially, I was under the impression that he won’t really entertain me, because he is a player of such humongous stature, and there’s this perception that he is very cocky and has an attitude issue. But when I went up to him, I realised that it is a very false perception, because Virat is exactly the opposite. He is a very down to earth guy. He must have had plenty of things to do, but still he gave me ample time and never, for once, made it seem like he was in a hurry and I should let him be. I told him that I am a huge admirer of him, and I have learnt a lot just by watching his interviews.
Tell us about your cricketing journey.
I come from an academic family. My dad is a doctor, and he wanted all of his four children to give their undivided attention to studies. But growing up in Gujranwala, I was an avid cricket fan and started playing tape-ball cricket. I used to idolise Wasim Akram and Saeed Anwar, so I tried to emulate Akram while bowling and Anwar while batting. One day, my school teacher saw me and got me into the school team. My father was initially against it, because he wanted me to study hard and earn a good degree, as opposed to giving my time to cricket.
Why did you go to Canada from Gujranwala?
This is an interesting story. So, I was sent to Canada to study, because my dad did not want me to pursue cricket. But when I came here, I realised that there is a proper club structure in Canada. I had never played club-level cricket in Pakistan, but I started representing the clubs here. I did well in region-level tournaments, then provincial tournaments, then nationals, and eventually, became an international cricketer.
You've taken the wickets of many stalwarts. Whose wicket do you cherish the most?
This incident happened in a GT20 game. I had gotten Colin Munro out, and the next batter in was Shahid Afridi. In my entire career, I have never experienced pressure for once. But when Afridi walked past me, I felt what pressure actually is. I have never been that nervous, because I was bowling to a legend. But on the very first ball, I got him LBW on a golden duck. He remains my most cherished wicket to date.
Canada were placed in a very tough group. What plans did you make before the tournament?
My goal has always been simple — to give my best for Canada, regardless of which batter I am bowling to. Yes, we were placed in a tough group, so we will have to deal with some of the best batters in the world. But if I think that I am bowling to the best, I will invite unnecessary pressure upon myself. It is always helpful to have a decluttered mind and just try to stick to the plans and bowl to the best of my abilities.
The Canadian national team has a close-knit mix of Pakistani and Indian origin players. Tell us about the harmony inside the squad.
Canada is a very diverse country, and our cricket team is a reflection of the same. Here, you will find players with different heritages playing together as brothers. We are a united unit — we don’t think about who is originally from Pakistan and who is originally from India. During an India-Pakistan match, we split into two factions. Half the team supports Pakistan, the other half supports India. But that happens in a very friendly way, and there are no hard feelings involved. Like you said, our captain Dilpreet Bajwa is from Punjab, and I’m from Punjab too. Yes, he is from the Indian Punjab and I’m from the Pakistani Punjab, but we speak the same language and laugh at the same jokes.
Looking back at your career, what would you say has been your biggest achievement?
One of my biggest accomplishments is that I have made my father proud. I have been scolded by him often for playing cricket, and told not to spend any time on the game. But the same person now follows all of my matches. Some of Canada’s games are not even televised, but he will keep checking the scores throughout the day and then have a long discussion on the game. This transformation makes me happy. It would have been amazing to have him at the T20 World Cup, but since he has a Pakistani passport, it couldn't make it to India.