Ajaz Patel

His domestic cricket started in Auckland, where his spells with Auckland A brought little success. A switch to Central Districts changed his fortunes, and he was quickly promoted to first-class level, debuting in 2012. His first T20 appearance also came that year, though he waited another three years before getting a chance in the 50-over game.

The longer format was where Patel truly stood out. He took wickets steadily for Central Districts, collecting 16 five-wicket hauls and three ten-wicket match hauls. Even so, a national place stayed out of reach for some time, because New Zealand already had Mitchell Santner and Ish Sodhi as spin options. Santner in particular stood in his way, as he offered more value with the bat. Patel kept producing regardless, and in 2018 he topped the Plunket Shield wicket-taking list with 48 victims from 9 matches, a campaign that earned him the Men's Domestic Player of the Year award.

His first international selection arrived for New Zealand's 2018 series against Pakistan in the UAE, with an injury to Santner creating the opening. His T20I introduction attracted little notice, but his Test debut at Abu Dhabi was a different story. He claimed seven wickets in the match, among them his first five-wicket haul in Tests during Pakistan's second innings, as New Zealand edged home by four runs. The performance earned him the Man of the Match award.