If reports are to be believed, Zafar Gohar may have missed the chance to play Test cricket because he overslept. The left-arm spinner was to replace an injured Yasir Shah in the Pakistan squad to play against England in the UAE in October 2015, but he was unable to make his flight. Nevertheless, he made his ODI debut a month later.

Born in Lahore, Zafar played much of his club cricket in the north side of city and was recruited into the Shafqat Rana Cricket Academy, which then allowed him access to the Under-15 circuit. He was selected for the U-15 world championship in West Indies in 2008 and picked up 10 wickets at 17.10. He was also part of two back-to-back Under-19 World Cups from 2012 but he shot to the limelight during a Youth tour to England in 2013. He finished as the most successful bowler, in a tri-series also involving Bangladesh, with 18 wickets at 11.44.

He continued to make inroads back home as well, moving smoothly from Under-15 to Under-19 and then finally won a domestic contract with Zarat Taraqiati Bank Limited, one of the largest departmental teams. He captained the ZTBL U-19 team and was later given an opportunity to play in the senior team and rubbed shoulders with the likes of Saeed Ajmal, Abdul Razzaq, Yasir Hameed. Then he moved to play for State Bank of Pakistan and in 2015 Sui Southern Gas Corporation roped him for the entire season.