If you type Jokan, Afghanistan into Google Maps you are in for a bit of a shock, one that will be a good starting place before you read any further into the story of Kyabram cricket’s latest international recruit.
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It is where Shafiqullah Maroofkhel spent the first 14 years of his life, located on the peak of the Jokan Khwar mountain range about 200km of winding, mostly unsealed, roads from the Afghanistan capital, Kabul.
Shaf, as he has become affectionately known in the Kyabram Redbacks Cricket Club community, is from the Nangarhar Province village, which is about 2100m above sea level and on the country’s eastern border with Pakistan.
He was born in June 2000, less than two years before the Afghanistan war and ongoing international conflict was triggered by the September 11 attacks.
As a child all he knew was conflict, something he was fortunate enough to leave behind after a harrowing first decade of life in the war-torn country.
Compare that to his new surrounds in Kyabram, which is officially 104m above sea level and without a hill in sight (unless you count Mt Scobie), and you can immediately see the difference in lifestyle.
On Sunday the temperature at Jokan Khwar was 2°C and there was no double-figure forecast in the immediate future — again a contrast in experience for the next week of 30°C-plus temperatures in Kyabram.
Shafiq is spending the Australian summer in Kyabram, staying with Barry and Judi Parsons, and playing with the reigning premier of Cricket Shepparton’s A-grade competition — Kyabram Redbacks.
The Parsons family have strong roots in the Kyabram cricketing community, most of their six children involved in some capacity with the Redbacks at one time or another.
One of their sons, Paul, is a member of the A-grade team alongside Shafiq. They also have eight grandchildren involved in the club’s junior teams, one of whom is being coached by Shafiq every Tuesday evening.
The Afghan bowler was recruited to the Goulburn Valley club by another of the Redbacks’ international stars, Louis Sabbagh-Holt.
The pair met while both playing at Frocester Cricket Club in the United Kingdom, one of the top cricket clubs in Gloucestershire.
“Louis played with Kyabram last year too and we were always talking about what his cricket life was while he was in Kyabram,” Shafiq said.
“Eventually I decided to join him.”
The conversations that ensued with Redbacks ‘power brokers’ Andrew Porch and Jackson McLay led to the Afghanistan-born cricketer heading down under for the summer.
“I was a bit nervous, but the people of Kyabram have made me feel at home. They are such a great bunch of people — full of respect and kindness,” Shafiq said.
“They help Louis and I with everything, they never say no and I can’t wait to tell everyone back in the UK just how wonderful the people at Kyabram Cricket Club are.”
Shafiq has done his bit on the field, although the Redbacks’ domination of the competition has meant he has rarely been called on with the bat.
He has taken nine wickets in six rounds — Kyabram sits second as one of four teams with a 5-1 record to start the season — and scored 24 runs from his two knocks (both times not out, from just 27 deliveries faced for the season).
His best bowling was 3-11 from 8.3 overs (including four maidens) in the win against Pine Lodge. The Redbacks haven’t been tested too much this season, having played the seventh, ninth, 11th, 12th and 13th ranked sides in 2024-25.
They have lost one game, to fifth-ranked Nagambie in round one, when Shafiq immediately turned heads in his Redbacks debut by taking 3-27 from eight overs and scoring four not out.
Kyabram lost that game (under the Duckworth-Lewis-Stern method), but hasn’t lost since.
While cricket was the initial focus for Shafiq, he has also managed to fit neatly into the Kyabram community — glowing in his praise of the town and its people.
“From the moment I arrived, I’ve been met with such kindness and warmth. The camaraderie on and off the field truly makes this place special,” he said.
“I’ve enjoyed every moment spent with this amazing community, whether we’re playing together or just sharing a laugh. Thank you all for making my time here so enjoyable.”
Wind back the clock to Afghanistan in the early 2000s and Shafiq had only ever played cricket with a ‘tape ball’ until he arrived in England.
That journey is a story in itself, one that would take far more than a 1000-word article to pay due justice.
Shafiq arrived in England in 2015. There he was moved into foster care after a four-month journey from his village after being forced to leave his mother, sister and younger brother.
In one of a couple of happy endings for Shafiq, his 17-year-old brother has now joined him in the UK, while his mother and sister have escaped Afghanistan and live in Pakistan.
The cricket import attended St Peter’s school in Gloucester, but on arrival didn’t know a word of English. Three years after his arrival in the UK he was attending college, after having joined Gloucester City Cricket Club as a right-arm bowler and middle-order batter in 2016.
He moved through the ranks, taking a five-wicket haul and making a century with Painswick Cricket Club before joining the renowned Frocester club — where the Kyabram connection was initially made through Sabbagh-Holt.
Australians have become a little more familiar with Afghanistan cricketers through the Twenty20 Big Bash League exploits of Shafiq’s cricketing hero, Rashid Khan.
From humble beginnings, Afghanistan is now the eighth-ranked one-day international team and 10th ranked T20 country.
Rashid is the number one ranked ODI bowler in the world, six spots ahead of the man almost single-handedly tearing apart the Australian Test team at the moment, Jasprit Bumrah.
“Rashid is our pride and one of my favourites of all time,” Shafiq said.
For Shafiq, nothing really seems impossible after the first 24 years of his life, so dreams of greater cricket honours in the future will forever be on his radar.
Kyabram Free Press and Campaspe Valley News editor