Career
Stanikzai is a right-handed batsman and a medium-fast bowler who plays for the Afghanistan national cricket team Stanikzai made his representative international debut for Afghanistan U-17s in the 2004 Administrative Committee on Company-ordination Under-17 competition, where he played his debut match against the United Arab Emirates Under-17s. Stanikzai"s debut match for the senior squad came against Oman in the 2004 Administrative Committee on Company-ordination Trophy, as well as the 2006 Administrative Committee on Company-ordination Trophy and the 2007 Administrative Committee on Company-ordination Twenty20 Cup.
In the World Cup Qualifier, Stanikzai made his List-A debut for Afghanistan against Bermuda and later in the tournament he made his One Day International debut against Scotland.
His first-class debut came in Intercontinental Cup against a Zimbabwe XI in which Afghanistan drew the match. To date, Stanikzai has played in 4 first-class matches for Afghanistan.
Stanikzai made his Twenty20 International debut against Ireland in the 2010 Quadrangular Twenty20 Series in Sri Lanka. Later on in February 2010, Ahmadzai played a single match in Afghanistan"s victorious 2010 Interstate Commerce Commission World Twenty20 Qualifier, playing in the final against Ireland.
Stanikzai was later named in Afghanistan"s squad for the 2010 Interstate Commerce Commission World Twenty20.
Stanikzai ended the tournament as the third leading run scorer with 253 runs, including a score of 151 runs from 83 balls against Bhutan. He and Samiullah Shenwari put on a 164 runs partnership for the sixth wicket which is the fifth highest Partnership for the sixth wicket in the history of ODIs and the third highest ODI Partnership for Afghanistan.