Sybrand Engelbrecht announces retirement from international cricket

Sybrand Engelbrecht has announced his retirement from international cricket after featuring in 12 ODIs and as many T20Is for the Netherlands. The South-African-born batter made his debut for the Netherlands last year and represented them in the 2023 ODI World Cup and 2024 T20 World Cup.

Engelbrecht scored 385 runs in 12 ODIs at an average of 35, including two fifties. In 10 T20I innings, the right-handed middle-order batter got 280 runs @ 31.11 and a strike rate of 132.70. 

With 98 runs in four innings, Engelbrecht was the leading run scorer for the Netherlands in the T20 World Cup. The 35-year-old scored 40 against South Africa and 33 against Bangladesh, both in a losing cause.

He is best known for taking one of the best catches of all time in the 2008 Under-19 World Cup for South Africa when he took a stunner against Papua New Guinea. In fact, he leapt up in the air to take an excellent catch of Virat Kohli in the final, but his side finished second best that day.

Even in his last international game against Sri Lanka on June 16 (Sunday), Engelbrecht made a stunning boundary save at deep mid-wicket. Angelo Matthews was the batter and Engelbrecht dived full stretch to catch the ball over his right shoulder and threw it back before going over the fence. 

Also read - Now an MBA, Sybrand Engelbrecht rediscovers love for cricket

Engelbrecht had announced his retirement from all forms of cricket in 2016 and moved to the Netherlands to work full-time as an investment specialist. But then something strange happened: he moved back to cricket and qualified to represent the Netherlands after completing his three-year residency as per ICC’s requirement. 

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