Triple threat: Naqvi ready to unleash batting fury for Chevrons

LAST year, a new gun named Antum Naqvi burst onto the Zimbabwe cricket scene.

At 24 years old, and in his very first season of first-class cricket, he achieved something no Zimbabwean player had ever done before.

Naqvi, born in Brussels but playing for the Mid-West Rhinos, went on a run-scoring rampage and became the first player to smash a triple century in the domestic game in any representative match.

This wasn’t just a lucky knock; Naqvi showed immense skill and determination to score an unbeaten 300 against Tuskers in the Logan Cup off 295 balls.

The Logan Cup heroics were just the beginning for Naqvi. Now 25, he continues to rake up runs in a Rhinos shirt. He dominated the 2023/24 Pro50 Championship, finishing as the leading run scorer with a whopping 514 runs in just eight innings. To put that into perspective, he scored three centuries during that tournament!

Naqvi’s talent hasn’t gone unnoticed. He’s become one of the hottest prospects in domestic cricket. And with his sights set on international glory, Naqvi has made it clear he aspires to wear the Chevrons’ jersey.

That dream is soon to become a reality for the Belgium-born star as he is set to receive his maiden national team call-up for the Chevrons’ upcoming five-match T20I series against India in Harare in a week. Zimbabwe Cricket (ZC) managing director Givemore Makoni confirmed that the youngster had charmed the selectors.

“Antum is set to become a Zimbabwe player. He is one new face that has been picked by the selectors and we are happy to have him in the team. He brings balance with both bat and ball and the player is also excited to begin his journey with the Chevrons.

“At the moment he is just waiting to receive his new Zimbabwe documents and we are confident that all will be in place for the Indian series,” Makoni told Zimpapers Sports Hub.

Naqvi, who has been tipped to be the next Sikandar Raza, was born in Belgium but grew up in Australia where he met former Chevrons opening batter, Solomon Mire who encouraged him to come and play in Zimbabwe as it will help him gain experience.

It was Mire who helped facilitate his move to Rhinos in January last year and he has made it count.
He made his debut in a Logan Cup encounter between Rhinos and Eagles at Kwekwe Sports Club. He immediately announced himself by scoring his maiden first-class, an unbeaten 140 off 232 balls to help Rhinos win by an innings and 133 runs.

Naqvi has seven T20 matches (five innings) under his name so far and has scored 138 runs at an average of 34,50 and a high score of 38 runs. He has a strike rate of 146,80. With ball in hand in the shortest version of the game, he has picked up nine wickets with best figures of 4/20.

In just eight List-A innings, Naqvi has scored an impressive 514 runs with a high score of 146 runs at an average of 73,42. He also boasts of a good conversion rate, scoring three centuries and only one half-century from his eight innings. He also managed to pick up nine wickets with best figures of 3/56.

In 10 first-class matches (13 innings), Naqvi has scored 792 runs with a career-high score of 300 not out. He boasts of a 100 percent conversion rate in the longer format, with three centuries. He has picked up 20 wickets with best figures of 4/22.

The technically gifted Naqvi attributes his success to his father, who he says has coached him well and his mother, who also puts him and his brother, Awad, above everything else in her personal life. He also credited his teammates at Rhinos.

“I look up to my parents for inspiration. Zimbabwe and the people of Zimbabwe have treated me really well. I love playing cricket here. I have a lot of support from my team Rhinos, including my coach Adam Chifo, our groundsmen, administrators, my teammates and everyone involved at Rhinos. And they are the reasons behind my success in domestic cricket,” he said.

Last year, he was named in the Zimbabwe Under-25 team that beat Uganda.
The five matches against India are pencilled for July 6, 7, 10, 13 and 14 at Harare Sports Club. All matches start at 1pm. ZC is, however, yet to announce the final squad for the series.

With Naqvi set to join the Chevrons, the future of the team looks to be in safe hands alongside other youngsters such as Brian Bennett, Clive Madande, and Johnathan Campbell, among others.
@brandon_malvin