Noor-ul-Haq Malekzai is a former Afghanistan international cricketer whose career included youth-level success and two One Day International appearances for the senior national team in 2010. A right-handed batter, he emerged through Afghanistan’s age-group cricket system during a period when the country was making important progress in international cricket. His performances in the 2009 ICC Under-19 Cricket World Cup Qualifier helped establish his place in the team before he reached senior international cricket. Although his ODI career was brief, surviving scorecards document his appearances against Scotland and Kenya, while historical records also connect him with Afghanistan’s domestic and franchise competitions.
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Noor-ul-Haq Malekzai Quick Facts
| Detail | Information |
|---|---|
| Full name | Noor-ul-Haq Malekzai |
| Known as | Noor-ul-Haq |
| Date of birth | 2 April 1992, according to several cricket profiles |
| Birthplace | Laghman, Afghanistan |
| National team | Afghanistan |
| Primary role | Batter |
| Batting style | Right-handed |
| Bowling style | Listed inconsistently across databases |
| ODI appearances | 2 |
| ODI runs | 12 |
| Highest ODI score | 12 |
| International career recorded | 2010 |
| Afghanistan domestic teams | Records include Kabul Region, Band-e-Amir Region and other regional sides |
| Franchise cricket | Amo Sharks and Boost Defenders appear in historical team listings |
Noor-ul-Haq Malekzai:
Player identity needs reviewEach format uses one source consistently. Recorded-only figures are labelled separately.
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Sources: CricketArchive, Cricbuzz and other historical player records. Some profile fields conflict, so the details above should not be treated as equally certain.
CricketArchive
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Early Life and Cricket Development in Afghanistan
Noor-ul-Haq Malekzai was born in Laghman, Afghanistan, according to cricket databases. Publicly available information about his childhood, school, family and first coach is limited, so those parts of his personal history cannot be reliably reconstructed from the sources reviewed.
His documented career points to Afghanistan’s age-group cricket pathway as an important stage in his development. The country’s youth teams were competing in international qualifying events as Afghanistan worked toward becoming a more established force in world cricket. Malekzai’s performances at under-19 level brought him into that wider story.
It is important to distinguish this documented cricket background from unsupported biographical details. No reliable source reviewed here establishes the names of his parents, his education history or a detailed account of how he first began playing cricket.
Noor-ul-Haq’s Under-19 Cricket Career
Performance in the 2009 Under-19 World Cup Qualifier
One of the clearest milestones in Malekzai’s career came during the 2009 ICC Under-19 Cricket World Cup Qualifier. According to the historical profile reproduced in cricket references, he scored 216 runs at an average of 54 during the qualifying competition.
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The tournament mattered because qualification offered Afghanistan’s young players the opportunity to compete at the 2010 ICC Under-19 Cricket World Cup in New Zealand. Malekzai’s batting contributions were part of the performances that helped the Afghan youth side advance to that stage.
An ICC report from the qualifier also records a significant innings from Malekzai: he scored 70 not out in a match against Papua New Guinea, supporting Ayoub Ahmadzai, who made 79. Afghanistan won by six wickets. The report illustrates that Malekzai was capable of making substantial contributions in youth international cricket, rather than merely appearing in the squad.
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The 2010 Under-19 World Cup
Afghanistan’s qualification for the 2010 Under-19 World Cup represented an important step for its youth cricket programme. The tournament gave players from the emerging cricket nation experience against international opposition and placed them within a broader development pathway.
Malekzai is associated with Afghanistan’s under-19 side in historical player records. However, a complete, independently verified innings-by-innings breakdown of his performance at the 2010 tournament was not established in the sources consulted for this article. It would therefore be misleading to assign him specific tournament totals without a supporting scorecard.
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Noor-ul-Haq’s Afghanistan International Career
Malekzai’s senior international record is short but clearly documented in ODI scorecards. He played two ODIs in 2010, facing Scotland in August and Kenya in October. These matches provide the strongest evidence for his senior international appearances and batting figures.
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ODI Debut Against Scotland, 17 August 2010
Malekzai made his ODI appearance against Scotland at Cambusdoon New Ground in Ayr on 17 August 2010. Afghanistan batted first and were dismissed for 120 in 40.2 overs. Malekzai scored 12 runs from 56 balls, without hitting a four or six, before being caught by wicketkeeper Dougie Lockhart off Ross Lyons. Scotland chased the target and won by six wickets.
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His innings came in a difficult situation for Afghanistan, whose batting lineup struggled to build a competitive total. The scorecard records his contribution precisely, but the available evidence does not support broader claims about his role in the team’s strategy or selection plans.
Final Recorded ODI Against Kenya, 11 October 2010
Malekzai’s second recorded ODI appearance came against Kenya in Nairobi on 11 October 2010. Afghanistan made 188 all out, with Mohammad Nabi top-scoring with 60. Malekzai was dismissed for 0 from 2 balls, caught by Collins Obuya off Thomas Odoyo. Kenya reached 189 for 2 in 41.3 overs and won by eight wickets.
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This scorecard is also the last ODI appearance listed for Malekzai in the databases consulted. It is safer to describe it as his last recorded ODI rather than make a definitive claim about every match he may have played in other competitions.
Noor-ul-Haq Malekzai Career Statistics
One Day International Record
The following figures are supported by the two ODI scorecards and the career summary shown by cricket databases.
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| ODI batting statistic | Record |
|---|---|
| Matches | 2 |
| Innings | 2 |
| Runs | 12 |
| Highest score | 12 |
| Batting average | 6.00 |
| Balls faced | 58 |
| Strike rate | Approximately 20.69 |
| Centuries | 0 |
| Half-centuries | 0 |
| Fours | 0 |
| Sixes | 0 |
His two innings were 12 against Scotland and 0 against Kenya. These numbers reflect a very small international sample and should not be used alone to judge his overall ability as a cricketer.
List A and Domestic Cricket
CricketArchive lists Malekzai in several competitions and regional teams, including Kabul Region, Band-e-Amir Region and Mis Ainak Region. The archive also records appearances for Kurunegala Youth Cricket Club in Sri Lankan cricket and for Afghan domestic T20 sides.
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Different statistical websites show differing career totals for his domestic formats. This can happen when databases use different competition coverage or update records differently. For that reason, a definitive combined table of his first-class, List A and T20 totals should be published only after checking the underlying match records against a consistent statistical source.
Teams Associated With Noor-ul-Haq
Historical team listings connect Malekzai with the following sides:
- Afghanistan: senior ODI team.
- Afghanistan Under-19s: youth international cricket.
- Kabul Region / Kabul Province: regional Afghan cricket.
- Band-e-Amir Region: Afghan domestic cricket.
- Mis Ainak Region: domestic List A cricket.
- Amo Sharks: Shpageeza Cricket League.
- Boost Defenders: domestic T20 competition.
- Kurunegala Youth Cricket Club: historical listings for cricket in Sri Lanka.
These names come from archived team records; they do not establish that he currently represents any of these teams.
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Shpageeza Cricket League Appearance
Malekzai’s T20 debut is listed as 11 September 2017 for Amo Sharks in the Shpageeza Cricket League. This provides evidence that his recorded cricket activity extended beyond his two ODIs in 2010.
Wikipedia
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However, the sources reviewed do not establish a current professional contract, recent playing activity or an official retirement announcement. It is therefore not possible to confirm his present playing status with confidence.
Bowling Style and Conflicting Player Details
Malekzai is primarily described as a batter, but his bowling information is inconsistent. Some databases list leg-break bowling, while others show off-break or right-arm off-break.
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Until an authoritative profile or scorecard-based record resolves the discrepancy, an article should avoid confidently assigning him one bowling style. The safest description is that he was a right-handed batter and that his recorded bowling style varies by source.
Noor-ul-Haq’s Career Significance
Malekzai’s most clearly documented contributions came during Afghanistan’s under-19 cricket period, particularly the 2009 qualifying tournament, where historical records credit him with 216 runs at an average of 54 and the ICC reported his 70 not out against Papua New Guinea. His two senior ODIs in 2010 provide a smaller international record: 12 runs in total, with a highest score of 12.
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His career is best understood as part of the generation of Afghan players who progressed through youth competitions into the senior game during the country’s rise in international cricket. The available evidence supports a concise, factual account of his youth performances, ODI appearances and domestic team history, but not a detailed narrative about his private life or current professional activities.
Frequently Asked Questions
1. Who is Noor-ul-Haq Malekzai?
Noor-ul-Haq Malekzai is an Afghan cricketer who played two ODIs for Afghanistan in 2010 and represented the country at youth level.
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2. What is Noor-ul-Haq’s date of birth?
Several cricket profiles list his date of birth as 2 April 1992. Some secondary databases contain conflicting year information, so an official birth record was not independently confirmed.
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3. Where was Noor-ul-Haq born?
CricketArchive lists his birthplace as Laghman, Afghanistan.
CricketArchive
4. How many ODIs did Noor-ul-Haq play?
He played two ODIs for Afghanistan, one against Scotland on 17 August 2010 and another against Kenya on 11 October 2010.
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5. How many ODI runs did Noor-ul-Haq score?
He scored 12 runs in two ODI innings, with a highest score of 12.
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6. What was Noor-ul-Haq’s best-known under-19 performance?
Historical records credit him with 216 runs at an average of 54 in the 2009 ICC Under-19 Cricket World Cup Qualifier. An ICC report also records his unbeaten 70 against Papua New Guinea.
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7. Which domestic teams did Noor-ul-Haq play for?
Archived listings associate him with sides including Kabul Region, Band-e-Amir Region, Mis Ainak Region, Amo Sharks, Boost Defenders and Kurunegala Youth Cricket Club.
CricketArchive
8. Is Noor-ul-Haq Malekzai still playing cricket?
The sources consulted do not confirm his current playing status or an official retirement announcement. His last recorded ODI was in October 2010, while historical listings show later domestic T20 involvement.
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9. What is Noor-ul-Haq Malekzai’s net worth?
No dependable public estimate of his net worth was verified. Any specific figure would be speculative without reliable financial disclosures.
10. What is Noor-ul-Haq’s bowling style?
Available profiles disagree, listing leg-break and off-break variations. His bowling style should therefore be treated as unconfirmed until a more authoritative source resolves the discrepancy.
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conclusion
Noor-ul-Haq Malekzai’s documented career is closely tied to Afghanistan’s youth cricket development and his brief appearance in senior ODI cricket in 2010. His under-19 performances, including the 2009 qualifying campaign, provide the strongest evidence of his contribution to Afghan cricket. His senior record is modest in statistical terms, but his appearances belong to an important period in Afghanistan’s international development. A responsible biography should preserve those verified milestones while avoiding unsupported claims about his family, finances, current status or disputed bowling details.