Belgium-born Antum Naqvi set for Zimbabwe test debut against Afghanistan

Bangla Press Desk:  Belgium-born batter Antum Naqvi is set to make his debut for Zimbabwe in the one-off Test against Afghanistan on Monday.

Naqvi, of Indian and Pakistani descent, was born in Brussels, Belgium, and moved to Australia at the age of four. A qualified commercial airline pilot, Naqvi put his aviation career on hold to pursue professional cricket. According to a statement from Zimbabwe Cricket, he recently became eligible to represent the country.

The 25-year-old has been one of the most prolific run-scorers in Zimbabwean domestic cricket, averaging over 60 in both first-class and List A formats. In January 2024, he became the first Zimbabwean player to score a triple-century in representative cricket. Across 26 first-class innings, Naqvi has amassed 1,626 runs at an impressive average of 67.75 and a strike rate of 72.65.

In his most recent outing for Zimbabwe A against the MCC in Harare last week, Naqvi struck 68 and 108, marking his sixth first-class hundred.

The squad also sees the exclusion of Sean Williams, Trevor Gwandu, Newman Nyamhuri, Clive Madande, and Vincent Masekesa from the previous Test side. It is understood that Williams was unavailable due to personal reasons.

Craig Ervine will lead the side, supported by senior players Brendan Taylor, Sikandar Raza, and Blessing Muzarabani.

The Harare Sports Club will host the one-off Test against Afghanistan from October 20 to 24. This fixture marks Zimbabwe’s first international assignment since securing qualification for the 2026 ICC T20 World Cup in India and Sri Lanka.

BP/SP