Antum Amir Naqvi (Arabic: انتوم أمير نقفي; born 5 April 1999) is a Belgium-born Zimbabwean cricketer, who plays as a right-arm off-spinner and right-hand batter.[1][2]
Personal life
Naqvi was born in Brussels, Belgium, to Belgian parents whose families had migrated to Belgium from India and Pakistan.[3] When he was four years old his family moved to Australia, where he was educated at The Hills Sports High School in Sydney.[4] He is a qualified commercial pilot.[5] His younger brother Awad Naqvi plays for Tuskers.[6]
Domestic career
While Naqvi was living and playing cricket in Darwin in Australia, he was encouraged to play cricket in Zimbabwe by the former Zimbabwe international player Solomon Mire.[5] He made his first-class cricket debut in Zimbabwe in January 2023, playing for Mid West Rhinos in the Logan Cup against Eagles. He scored 140 not out batting at number six, and took 4 for 22 in the first innings and another wicket and three catches in the second innings in an innings victory for Rhinos.[7] In his second match a few days later he scored 103 in Mid West Rhinos' only innings,[8] thus becoming the 21st person in the history of first-class cricket to score hundreds in his first two innings.[9] In the final match of the competition, Naqvi made a third century and took five wickets.[10]
Naqvi made his List A debut in October 2023. In his second match, two days after his first, he took 3 for 56 and scored 128 not out off 93 balls, finishing off the victory for Rhinos with an unbroken 202-run partnership with Tarisai Musakanda.[11] Since then Naqvi has scored two more List A 100s.
In January 2024, captaining Mid West Rhinos in the Logan Cup against Matabeleland Tuskers, Naqvi scored 300 not out off 295 deliveries before declaring at 538 for 3; Rhinos went on to win by an innings and 40 runs. It is the first triple-century in the history of Zimbabwean domestic cricket.[12][13][14]
International career
In July 2024, he earned his maiden call-up for the Zimbabwe national team for their T20I series against India. However, he did not play in any of the matches.[15][16][17][18]
