Dutch batsman Sybrand Engelbrecht announces retirement from international cricket ahead of T20 World Cup 2024

Sybrand Engelbrecht, a 35-year-old Netherlands cricketer who was born in South Africa, has officially announced his retirement from international cricket. He made his debut for the Netherlands in 2023, playing a total of 12 One Day Internationals (ODIs) and 12 Twenty20 Internationals (T20Is). Engelbrecht’s final international game was during the T20 World Cup in 2024, where the Netherlands faced Sri Lanka and were knocked out of the tournament. Despite the loss, Engelbrecht made headlines with a remarkable boundary save that went viral on social media, garnering over a million views on Instagram reels.

Known for his exceptional fielding skills, Engelbrecht gained recognition back in 2008 when he took a stunning catch playing for South Africa in the Under-19 World Cup against Papua New Guinea. After retiring from all forms of cricket in 2016 to focus on his career in financial and project management, he resumed playing recreationally in the Netherlands in 2021. By 2023, he had earned a spot in the Netherlands national team and represented the country in the ODI World Cup held in India that year.

Having played half of his international matches in World Cups, Engelbrecht finishes his career with impressive stats. In ODIs, he scored 385 runs at an average of 35.00, with two half-centuries to his name. In T20Is, he accumulated 280 runs at an average of 31.11 and a strike rate of 132.70. He was the leading run-scorer for the Netherlands in the recent T20 World Cup, contributing 98 runs at an average of 24.50, which included crucial innings against strong teams like South Africa and Bangladesh.