The UAE seamer leading Cosmic’s attack
The first APL season passed Junaid Siddique by entirely. It was played in Sharjah in October 2018, when he was 25 and two years into his new life in the United Arab Emirates — working, playing tape-ball cricket in his spare time, and still a year away from his international debut. His name appears in none of the five squads that season. Eight years on, he arrives as Nangarhar Cosmic’s fifth Gold pick.
The record since is that of a genuine international seamer. Born in Multan, Pakistan, on 6 December 1992, Siddique is a right-arm medium-fast bowler and a right-hand batter who plays for the UAE. He has 100 ODI wickets in 71 matches, with best figures of 6 for 49, and 126 T20I wickets in 91 matches, with best figures of 5 for 35 — the first five-for by a UAE bowler at a T20 World Cup, against Canada in 2026. His T20I debut came against Oman in October 2019.
For Cosmic, he is the pace spearhead. In a squad where the spin options — Shakib, Zahir Khan, Shafiqullah Ghafari — are plentiful, Siddique gives Toby Radford the new ball and the death overs, and he knows the UAE grounds better than any bowler in the side. That local knowledge matters in a league played entirely in the Emirates.
APL 2026-27 in numbers
The season has not started, so Junaid Siddique has no APL 2026-27 runs, wickets or matches yet. His first numbers in this league will come after Nangarhar Cosmic’s opening match — the season’s first ball is on Sunday 27 December 2026. Until then, the table below is his career at a glance.
| Detail | Junaid Siddique |
|---|---|
| Born | 6 December 1992, Multan, Pakistan |
| Role | Bowler (right-arm medium-fast) |
| Batting | Right-hand bat |
| Bowling | Right-arm medium-fast |
| Draft category | Gold — reported $40,000 |
| APL history | APL debut in 2026-27; not in any 2018 squad |
Career facts are from the player’s verified profile record. No APL 2026-27 figures exist yet — the season starts on 27 December 2026.
Where Nangarhar stand
Nangarhar Cosmic’s bowling has three different ways through an innings: Siddique’s pace, Zahir Khan’s wrist spin and Aftab Alam’s seam, with Shakib’s four overs of left-arm spin tying it together. Captain Rahmat Shah leads the side, Toby Radford coaches it, and Mark Boucher mentors it.
Cosmic play eight league matches, two against each of the other four teams, with four playoff places on offer. The Afghanistan Premier League season opens on Sunday 27 December 2026 at 5:30 PM Afghanistan time, and the final is on Wednesday 20 January 2027. Siddique will bowl in the country he now calls home.
Frequently asked questions
What is Junaid Siddique’s role for Nangarhar Cosmic?
He is the pace spearhead — a right-arm medium-fast bowler taken as Cosmic’s fifth Gold pick at the Dubai draft.
How many T20I wickets has Junaid Siddique taken?
126 wickets in 91 T20Is for the UAE, with best figures of 5 for 35 against Canada at the 2026 T20 World Cup.
Has Junaid Siddique played in the APL before?
No. He was still an uncapped tape-ball cricketer in the UAE in 2018, so APL 2026-27 is his debut in the league.
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