Zimbabwe has announced its squad for the upcoming one-off Test match against Afghanistan, featuring Belgian-born cricketer Antum Naqvi for the first time. This match marks Zimbabwe’s tenth Test of the year and is scheduled to commence in Harare on October 20. The squad has undergone adjustments following a heavy defeat to New Zealand in Bulawayo, with fast bowler Richard Ngarava making a return after missing the previous series, and Brad Evans also being recalled.
Two players have the opportunity to debut in this Test. Alongside Naqvi, fast bowler Tinotenda Maposa, who boasts 14 appearances for Zimbabwe in white-ball cricket, has also been selected.
Antum Naqvi’s journey is particularly noteworthy. Born in Belgium and moving to Australia at the young age of four, he initially trained to be a pilot, obtaining his aviation license before shifting his focus to cricket. Naqvi moved to Zimbabwe in 2023 after playing club cricket alongside former Zimbabwe international Solomon Mire.
Naqvi made an immediate impact in Zimbabwe’s domestic cricket scene, scoring an impressive 140 not out on his first-class debut for the Rhinos while taking seven wickets across two innings. Last year, he made history as the first player to score a triple hundred in Zimbabwe’s domestic cricket, achieving an extraordinary 300 not out from 295 balls while captaining Mid West Rhinos. Over the course of his first-class career, he has maintained an impressive batting average of 67.75 and has accumulated six centuries. He has also taken two five-wicket hauls, totaling 47 wickets in 19 matches, and was the top run-scorer in Zimbabwe’s first-class domestic competition in the last two seasons.
Naqvi received a T20I call-up for Zimbabwe’s series against India last year but could not debut due to eligibility concerns. Now, with his Test appearance on the horizon, he is set to make a significant contribution to the team and the future of Zimbabwe cricket looks promising with talents like him.