Sybrand Engelbrecht scored a rearguard half-century to rescue Netherlands and take them to a fighting total in the World Cup game against Sri Lanka at the Ekana Stadium in Lucknow today (October 21). Here is all you need to know about the right-handed Dutch batter of South African origin.
Englebrecht’s journey from the 2008 U19 World Cup to the ongoing Men’s ODI World Cup has been fascinating.
After gaining attention in Malaysia in 2008, Engelbrecht was compared to Jonty Rhodes for his acrobatic performances on the field. However, the transition from age group cricket to senior cricket was not easy for him. In fact, he never made it to the end and ended up dropping out.
In 2016, Engelbrecht had retired from all forms of cricket as he had not been selected for South Africa’s senior national team in eight years since playing in the U-19 World Cup.
Sybrand Englebrecht scored a fighting 70 against Sri Lanka in Lucknow
Graduation from senior cricket may not have gone as planned, but neither did Engelbrecht’s graduation from education. During his active career, he earned a degree in finance and completed postgraduate training in project management. Engelbrecht made the jump with a bleak future in cricket and an excellent academic background.
“I started working at a company called Fairtree in January 2017,” said Engelbrecht. “He completed his MBA at Stellenbosch Business School two years after starting his corporate career, so there were a few years where he had little to do with cricket.”
Four years after starting his career at Fairtree, Engelbrecht wanted to expand the company and moved to the Netherlands. He used this as an opportunity to resume the game of cricket.
“When my family and I moved to the Netherlands, I picked up a bat again because it was the easiest way to integrate into the community and make new friends,” Engelbrecht said. “When I picked the club again, I felt like I had forgotten about it. And I fell in love with it again. It was great.”
After receiving permission from the ICC to play for the Dutch national team, Engelbrecht made his senior debut a week later, followed by his senior debut in the World Cup match against Pakistan in India. And now, he came to bat against Sri Lanka and played a huge role in Holland’s powerful comeback.
Although still a full-time employee of Fairtree, it’s unclear where this roller-coaster career will take Engelbrecht next.
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