Antum Naqvi

International career

Antum Amir Naqvi (Urdu: انتم عامر نقوی) was born on 5 April 1999 in Belgium. He is a right-hand batter and right-arm off-spinner. Although born in Europe, Naqvi grew up in Australia after moving there at the age of four. He first started playing cricket in Australia.

Before focusing on cricket, Naqvi trained as a pilot and earned his aviation license. Later, he decided to pause that path and concentrate on cricket. His move to Zimbabwe came in 2023, after advice from former Zimbabwe player Solomon Mire. They played club cricket together in Australia for several years. Mire believed Naqvi was ready for a bigger challenge and suggested trying cricket in Zimbabwe.

Naqvi joined the Rhinos and scored 140 not out on his debut. His team won the match by an innings and 133 runs. That performance helped him attract attention quickly.

Naqvi has said that Sikandar Raza, another Pakistan-born Zimbabwe cricketer, is one of his heroes. He wants to become a similar player—an all-rounder who plays an important role with both bat and ball.

• 1999: Antum Amir Naqvi was born on 5 April in Brussels, Belgium, to Pakistani parents.
• 2003: At the age of four, he moved to Australia with his family. This is where he started playing cricket.
• Early 2020s: Naqvi joined the player development program run by Lahore Qalandars. He took part in the Queen’s series in Australia, where his talent gained more attention. His T20 strike rate reached 146.80 in seven matches during this period.
• 2023: Encouraged by former Zimbabwe international Solomon Mire, Naqvi relocated to Zimbabwe to pursue professional cricket.
  He joined Mid-West Rhinos and scored 140 not out on his debut in first-class cricket. Later in the year, he also captained the team and scored an unbeaten 300 in a Logan Cup match.
• 2024: In July, he was selected for the Zimbabwe national team for their T20I series against India. He did not play in the series but was included in the squad. His selection made him the second player of Pakistani origin to join the Zimbabwe national team after Sikandar Raza. By this time, Naqvi had paused his aviation career—despite holding a commercial pilot’s license—to focus entirely on cricket.
• 2024 (T20 World Cup): Zimbabwe did not qualify for the 2024 ICC T20 World Cup held in the West Indies and USA. The team now plans to push for qualification in the 2026 edition through the African regional qualifiers.

Leagues Participation

So far, Antum Naqvi has not played in any major international franchise leagues.  

Domestic career

Antum Naqvi began his domestic journey in Zimbabwe in early 2023 after moving from Australia, where he had spent most of his life. His debut for the Mid West Rhinos in the Logan Cup was outstanding—scoring an unbeaten 140 and collecting five wickets across both innings. In just his second match, he added another century, becoming one of the few players in first-class history to hit hundreds in each of their first two innings. By the end of that Logan Cup season, he had three centuries and 18 wickets in only five innings, finishing with an average close to 95 with the bat.

In the following season, Naqvi was named captain of the Rhinos. His leadership started with modest scores, but that changed when he smashed 300 not out against Matabeleland Tuskers—the first-ever triple hundred in Zimbabwean domestic cricket. In List A matches, he dominated the 2023 Pro50 season, scoring over 500 runs and finishing as the top scorer. His contributions with the ball continued, taking wickets regularly. In the T20 format, Naqvi led Rhinos to the 2025 domestic title, playing a key role in the final with both bat and ball.

Through strong performances across all formats, Naqvi quickly became a central figure in Zimbabwe’s domestic scene and earned national team attention within two years.

Records and achievements

Antum Naqvi became known in Zimbabwe’s domestic cricket scene for his strong batting and useful bowling. He reached several milestones in just a few seasons.

• 2022–2023 Logan Cup: Scored 379 runs in five innings. His average was 94.75. He scored three centuries and took 18 wickets.
• 2023 Pro50 Championship: Finished as the highest run-scorer. He scored 514 runs in eight matches and hit three centuries. He also took nine wickets.
• January 2024 Logan Cup: Scored 300 not out from 295 balls against Matabeleland Tuskers. This was the first triple-century in the history of Zimbabwean domestic cricket.
• March 2025 Zimbabwe T20 Final: Captained Rhinos to a title. Scored 50 runs from 32 balls and took two wickets in the final.

Personal life

Antum Naqvi keeps most of his private life out of the spotlight. Still, a few facts about his background, interests, and lifestyle are known to fans and cricket followers.

Family

Naqvi was born in Brussels, Belgium. His parents have roots in Pakistan and India. When he was four, the family moved to Australia. He studied at The Hills Sports High School in Sydney. He holds a commercial pilot’s license. His younger brother, Awad Naqvi, also plays cricket and represents Tuskers. No public information is available about a wife or children.

Finances

Exact numbers are unknown. Based on his domestic career and sponsorships, his estimated worth is likely between $100,000 and $500,000.

Fans

Naqvi has a small but growing online following. His Instagram account has around 890 followers.