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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
Sybrand Engelbrecht has not played any Test matches for the Netherlands as they do not have Test status.
Sybrand Engelbrecht has not captained the Netherlands in any international matches.
Sybrand Engelbrecht has not been involved in any major controversies in his cricket career.
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.