Azeem Rafiq's difficult year ended on a positive note for the Yorkshire teenager when he was included Tuesday in the England Under-19 squad for next year's tour of South Africa. The 17-year-old spin bowler was added to the squad following a successful application to become a British citizen.
Pakistan-born Rafiq found himself making unwanted headlines in June when his inclusion in Yorkshire's side for their Twenty20 Cup match with Nottinghamshire led to the Headingley-based county being thrown out of the competition. Even though he'd captained England at Under-15 and Under-16 level, Rafiq did not hold a British passport at the time and had not been registered by Yorkshire with the England and Wales Cricket (ECB) as a first-team player.