Antum Naqvi, a Belgian-born cricketer currently based in Australia, has expressed his desire to play for Zimbabwe Cricket (ZC), offering his services to the Chevrons.
The 24-year-old explosive top-order batsman, who also possesses talent as an off-spinner and currently plays for Takashinga 2, made this announcement in a post-match interview on Takashinga’s social media platform.
Naqvi, known for his clean-hitting ability, stated that he would gladly accept the opportunity to represent Zimbabwe Cricket if it were presented to him. He praised the nation and its cricketing opportunities, expressing his interest in playing for Zimbabwe.
In the past, Naqvi has played five First-Class matches for Rhinos and three T20s. His First-Class debut for Rhinos in January saw him take five wickets and score an unbeaten 140 runs in the first innings, leading his team to a victory by an innings and 133 runs against Eagles in Kwekwe.
Currently, Naqvi ranks third in the National Premier League T20 Blast, scoring 186 runs in four innings with an average of 46.50 and a strike rate of 167.57. Nick Welch leads the leaderboard with 323 runs, followed by Milton Shumba with 252 runs.
Due to his all-around capabilities, Naqvi also ranks fourth in the Most Valuable Player points standings, with a rating of 31.21, behind leaders Shumba, Welch, and Donald Tiripano.
His potential inclusion in the Chevrons would be a welcome addition, especially following Gary Ballance’s retirement, who had joined the Zimbabwean team less than a year ago after switching his allegiance from England.
In other news – Nigerian president hikes wages to avert looming strike
Nigeria’s leader increased the wages of some government workers in last-minute efforts to appease labor unions whose planned strike this week could shut down government offices in all sectors of Africa’s largest economy.
Low-grade workers will in the next six months be paid an additional 25,000 naira ($32) a month, President Bola Tinubu said Sunday in a nationwide broadcast to mark Nigeria’s 63rd independence anniversary. Read More
