Colin Ackermann is a cricketer who plays internationally for the Netherlands and domestically for Durham County Cricket Club in England. He is a right-handed batsman and right-arm off-break bowler who can play in various formats of the game. He has also played for Somerset and Leicestershire in English county cricket, and St Kitts and Nevis Patriots and Southern Brave in T20 franchise cricket. He is known for his batting skills, bowling variations, and leadership qualities.
Colin Ackermann was born on April 4, 1991, in Amsterdam, Netherlands. He grew up in a cricket-loving family and started playing the game at the age of seven. His father, Adriaan van Meekeren, is a former cricketer who played for VRA Amsterdam and coached the Netherlands Under-15 team. His mother, Marianne van Meekeren, is a teacher and a cricket enthusiast. He has a younger sister, Anna van Meekeren, who is also a cricketer and plays for the Netherlands women's team.
Colin Ackermann is unmarried and lives in Bristol, England. He is fluent in Dutch, English, and Afrikaans. He holds a bachelor's degree in sports management from Inholland University of Applied Sciences in Amsterdam. He is also a qualified cricket coach and has worked as a player-coach at Kampong Cricket Club in Utrecht. He enjoys travelling, cycling, and playing golf in his spare time.
Colin Ackermann started playing cricket at VRA Amsterdam, where his father was his coach and mentor. He represented the Netherlands at various age-group levels and was part of the squad that played in the 2012 ICC Under-19 Cricket World Cup in Australia. He made his first-class debut for the Netherlands against Scotland in the 2013 ICC Intercontinental Cup and took four wickets in the match. He also made his List A debut for the Netherlands against Kenya in the 2013 World Cricket League Championship and took two wickets.
In 2016, he moved to England to pursue his cricket career and joined Somerset County Cricket Club on a short-term deal until the end of the season. He impressed with his performances in club cricket and was offered a two-year contract by Somerset until the end of the 2018 season. He made his Twenty20 debut for Somerset in the 2016 NatWest t20 Blast against Hampshire and took two wickets.
Colin Ackermann made his One Day International (ODI) debut for the Netherlands against South Africa at Amstelveen on May 31, 2013. He bowled four overs and took the wicket of Hashim Amla as the Netherlands lost by 84 runs. He made his Twenty20 International (T20I) debut for the Netherlands against Kenya at Windhoek on April 20, 2013. He bowled three overs and took one wicket as the Netherlands won by seven wickets.
He was part of the Netherlands squad that played in the 2016 ICC World Twenty20 in India. He had a memorable tournament as he took four wickets for 11 runs against Ireland at Dharamsala, which remain his best figures in T20I cricket. He also took three wickets against Oman at Nagpur. He finished as the joint second-highest wicket-taker of the tournament with seven wickets at an average of 9.28.
Colin Ackermann has played eight ODIs for the Netherlands until October 2023, scoring 228 runs at an average of 32.57 and a strike rate of 83.21. He has hit two half-centuries with a highest score of 81. He has also bowled 312 balls and taken six wickets at an average of 42.66 and an economy rate of 5.63. His best bowling figures are 2/39.
Colin Ackermann has played 22 T20Is for the Netherlands until November 2022, scoring 465 runs at an average of 25.83 and a strike rate of 131.42. He has hit one half-century with a highest score of 62. He has also bowled 210 balls and taken seven wickets at an average of 30.85 and an economy rate of 7.71. His best bowling figures are 4/11.
Colin Ackermann has not played any Test matches for the Netherlands as they do not have Test status.
Colin Ackermann has captained Leicestershire in all formats from 2020 to 2022.
Colin Ackermann has not been involved in any major controversies in his cricket career.
Colin Ackermann is a cricketer who plays internationally for the Netherlands and domestically for Durham County Cricket Club in England. He is a right-handed batsman and right-arm off-break bowler who can play in various formats of the game. He has also played for Somerset and Leicestershire in English county cricket, and St Kitts and Nevis Patriots and Southern Brave in T20 franchise cricket. He is known for his batting skills, bowling variations, and leadership qualities. He has achieved several records and accolades for his performances and is one of the most promising players for the Netherlands.