Saqib Zulfiqar

The eldest of the Zulfiqar triplets, legspinning all-rounder Saqib, together with his brothers Sikander and Asad learned much of his cricket under the watchful eye of his father Zulfiqar Ahmad, himself a former Netherlands international. The trio were all regulars in age-group cricket for the Netherlands, while playing domestic cricket for Amsterdamsche Cricket Club alongside their father and elder brother Rehmat. The trio made history when they became the first triplets to play representative international cricket, taking the field together in a List A international against the UAE at Amstelveen in 2017, but of the three Saqib has gone on to make his official ODI debut since the Dutch reclaimed their status in 2018.

A somewhat unconventional legspinner who bowls over a loosely-planted or even lifted front foot, Zulfiqar’s bowling has stood out at club level since moving to Punjab Rotterdam, but it was as a floating bat -usually playing the role of lower middle-order finisher that he first came back into the side ahead of the Netherlands’ Super League campaign. After making his ODI debut against Zimbabwe in 2019, Zulfiqar had an almost two year wait before donning Orange again, left out of the T20 side while the Dutch went 23 months without an ODI. Yet despite fairly regular and occasionally creditable appearances throughout the Super League, it was not until the World Cup Qualifier in Zimbabwe that Zulfiqar made any memorable impact for the Dutch. A return of 2-43 in a high-scoring tie with the West Indies made Zulfiqar pick of the Dutch bowlers, even if his efforts were overshadowed by Logan van Beek’s spectacular solo super-over performance in the same match. Similarly a composed, unbeaten 33 against Scotland was eclipsed by Bas de Leede’s heroics in that match, but if Zulfiqar’s contributions for the Dutch have thus far been in a supporting role, it is a role he plays increasing ably.