Zimbabwe’s cricket team has called up a promising talent for their upcoming five-match T20 International series against India. Antum Naqvi, a Pakistani-origin player, has been named in the squad.
Naqvi was born in Brussels, Belgium, to Pakistani parents and moved to Australia at the age of four. His cricketing prowess first gained attention in Australia, but his skills were further honed as part of the Lahore Qalandars’ player development program, particularly during the Queen’s series in Australia.
This program, renowned for nurturing cricket talent, helped Naqvi develop a striking batting technique, evidenced by his impressive strike rate of 146.80 in seven T20 matches.
In just his second year in Zimbabwean domestic cricket, he scored an unbeaten 300 for Mid-West Rhinos in the Logan Cup and led them as their skipper.
Naqvi’s inclusion in the Zimbabwe squad makes him the second player of Pakistani origin to join their ranks, following in the footsteps of Sikandar Raza who made history as the first Pakistani-origin player to play for Zimbabwe.
Remarkably, Naqvi’s cricketing aspirations come alongside a significant career shift. He put his aviation career on hold, despite having acquired a commercial airline pilot’s license, to pursue his passion for cricket.
Zimbabwe failed to qualify for the T20 World Cup in the Caribbean this year, however, the aim is to qualify for the 2026 T20 World Cup from the African continent.
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Naqvi’s grand parents immigrated to Belgium. Antum Naqvi’s father grew up in Belgium and studied at International School of Brussels from grade 1 to 12.
Lahore Qalandars didn’t do anything with him beside selecting him in the squad and never gave him a game. So they should be ashamed to take any credit.