Belgium-born Antum Naqvi receives maiden Zimbabwe call-up

Batter Antum Naqvi has received his maiden call-up for Zimbabwe for the five-match T20I series against India in Harare. His inclusion, however, is subject to confirmation of his citizenship status.

Zimbabwe recalled allrounders Wessly Madhevere and Brandon Mavuta for the series after they completed their suspension for drug use. Experienced fast bowler Tendai Chatara, who last played the T20 World Cup Africa Qualifier, also found a spot after being left out of the series against Ireland and Bangladesh.

Mainstays Craig Ervine, Sean Williams and Ryan Burl, as well as Joylord Gumbie and Ainsley Ndlovu, were all dropped. The five players were part of Zimbabwe’s most recent T20I assignment – an away series in Bangladesh which they lost 4-1.

Naqvi, 25, rose to prominence at the start of the year, when he became the first player to score a triple century for any Zimbabwe team in representative cricket. He scored an unbeaten 300 for Mid West Rhinos in the Logan Cup, and also captained them in just his second year in domestic cricket in Zimbabwe.

A top-order batter, Naqvi boasts of a strike rate of 146.80 in seven T20 matches. He was born in Brussels, Belgium to Pakistani parents, and moved to Australia when he was four, where he earned a commercial airline pilot’s license. He put his aviation career on hold, as per BBC Sport, to pursue cricket.

Zimbabwe failed to make the cut for the just-concluded T20 World Cup 2024, and are aiming to re-build under new head coach Justin Sammons. The intention is reflected in the average age of the squad to face India – 27.

Captain Sikandar Raza, 38, is the most experienced player in the squad with 86 T20Is, and allrounder Luke Jongwe is the second with 63 T20I appearances.

Zimbabwe squad for the men’s T20I series against India

Sikandar Raza (captain), Faraz Akram, Brian Bennett, Johnathan Campbell, Tendai Chatara, Luke Jongwe, Innocent Kaia, Clive Madande, Wessly Madhevere, Tadiwanashe Marumani, Wellington Masakadza, Brandon Mavuta, Blessing Muzarabani, Dion Myers, Antum Naqvi, Richard Ngarava, Milton Shumba