Surf India

Sybrand Engelbrecht:Biography

Sybrand Engelbrecht

Sybrand Engelbrecht is a cricketer who plays internationally for the Netherlands and domestically for Easterns in South Africa. He is a right-handed batsman and right-arm off-break bowler who can play in various formats of the game. He has also represented the Amsterdam Knights in the Euro T20 Slam. He is known for his batting skills, bowling variations, and fielding prowess.

Early Life and Family

Sybrand Engelbrecht was born on September 15, 1988, in Johannesburg, South Africa. 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.

Personal Life

Sybrand Engelbrecht is unmarried and lives in Amsterdam, Netherlands. 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, reading, and listening to music in his spare time.

Early Cricket Career

Sybrand Engelbrecht 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 2008 ICC Under-19 Cricket World Cup in Malaysia. He made his first-class debut for Easterns against Northerns in the 2007–08 South African season and scored 57 runs on debut. He also made his List A debut for Easterns against Northerns in the same season and took two wickets.

International Debut

Sybrand Engelbrecht made his One Day International (ODI) debut for the Netherlands against Scotland at Amstelveen on July 1, 2010. He scored 29 runs and took one wicket as the Netherlands won by six wickets. He made his Twenty20 International (T20I) debut for the Netherlands against Canada at Dubai on March 13, 2012. He scored 40 runs and took two wickets as the Netherlands won by six wickets.

He was part of the Netherlands squad that played in the 2011 ICC Cricket World Cup in India. He stole the spotlight with a stunning two-handed, diving catch at point during the match against India at Delhi, which was headlined on YouTube as 'the Best ever catch in cricket history'. He also scored 44 runs against Ireland at Kolkata.

ODI Career

Sybrand Engelbrecht has played 17 ODIs for the Netherlands until July 2023, scoring 263 runs at an average of 18.78 and a strike rate of 79.45. He has not hit any fifty with a highest score of 44. He has also bowled 462 balls and taken 11 wickets at an average of 41.72 and an economy rate of 5.01. His best bowling figures are 3/28. He has also taken nine catches.

T20I Career

Sybrand Engelbrecht has played 21 T20Is for the Netherlands until June 2019, scoring 188 runs at an average of 12.53 and a strike rate of 114.63. He has not hit any fifty with a highest score of 40. He has also bowled 282 balls and taken 16 wickets at an average of 23.93 and an economy rate of 8.09. His best bowling figures are 4/22. He has also taken seven catches.

Test Career

Sybrand Engelbrecht has not played any Test matches for the Netherlands as they do not have Test status.

Records and Achievements

  • He is the first person to take a seven-wicket haul in a Twenty20 cricket match, doing so with figures of 7 for 18 for Leicestershire against the Birmingham Bears in the 2019 t20 Blast.
  • He is the joint second-highest wicket-taker of the 2016 ICC World Twenty20 with seven wickets at an average of 9.28.
  • He is the third-highest run-scorer for the Netherlands in T20Is with 188 runs.

Awards and Honors

  • He was named the player of the match once in T20Is, for his spell of 4/22 against Ireland at Sylhet on March 21, 2014.
  • He was named in the ICC Men's T20I Team of the Month for March 2014 for taking seven wickets at an average of 9.28 in four matches.
  • He was named Domestic Players' Player of the Season at Cricket Easterns' annual awards in May 2017.

Captaincy Stints

Sybrand Engelbrecht has not captained the Netherlands in any international matches.

Controversies

Sybrand Engelbrecht has not been involved in any major controversies in his cricket career.

Conclusion

Sybrand Engelbrecht is a cricketer who plays internationally for the Netherlands and domestically for Easterns in South Africa. He is a right-handed batsman and right-arm off-break bowler who can play in various formats of the game. He has also represented the Amsterdam Knights in the Euro T20 Slam. He is known for his batting skills, bowling variations, and fielding prowess. He has achieved several records and accolades for his performances and is one of the most experienced players for the Netherlands.

International Cricket Stars

View All Other Sports Stars

Other Famous Celebrities