Quick Facts
Biography
Akif Raja (born 24 November 1992) is a Pakistani-born cricketer who plays for the United Arab Emirates national cricket team. He played in one first-class match for Lahore Shalimar in January 2014 in the 2013–14 Quaid-e-Azam Trophy in Pakistan.
In October 2021, he was named in the UAE's Twenty20 International (T20I) squad for the 2021 Summer T20 Bash tournament. He made his T20I debut on 8 October 2021, for the UAE against Ireland. In November 2021, he was named in the UAE's One Day International (ODI) squad for the 2021 Namibia Tri-Nation Series.
In February 2022, Raja was named in the UAE's ODI squad for their series against Oman. He made his ODI debut on 6 February 2022, for the UAE against Oman.
Personal life
Raja was bornon 24 November 1992 in Lahore, Pakistan. He is the son of Nasreen Akhtar and Raja Arif Ullah Khan; his father died of COVID-19. He moved to the UAE in 2017, initially working with NMC Health in Abu Dhabi and later with MGM Medical Center in Sharjah.