Aerial artist, finance whiz, World Cup top-scorer: meet Sybrand Engelbrecht Premium

Sybrand Engelbrecht, a former U-19 cricketer, made an unlikely World Cup debut at 35. He showcased excellent temperament and technique, often during rescue acts, and finished as the Netherlands' leading scorer. He admires Jonty Rhodes, Graeme Smith, Jacques Kallis, Hashim Amla, Dale Steyn, A.B. de Villiers, Sachin Tendulkar, Virat Kohli, and K.L. Rahul.

Sybrand Engelbrecht’s main claims to fame, at one stage, were two stunning catches for South Africa — one of them off Virat Kohli — at the 2008 Under-19 cricket World Cup in Malaysia. The catch off Papua New Guinea’s Alfred Amini — Engelbrecht flew like a bird at gully and caught like a goalkeeper, two-handed — remains one of the best you will ever see in cricket. 

But eight years after that tournament, Engelbrecht retired from cricket, earned an MBA degree from a top business school and built a successful career in finance. His job took him to the Netherlands, and cricket was back in his life, once again. He made an unlikely World Cup debut last month at the age of 35. And finished as the Netherlands’ leading scorer.

In a tournament where the Dutch team’s main batters struggled, he showcased excellent temperament and fine technique, often during rescue acts. He demonstrated he could — that too on the game’s biggest stage — do more than take spectacular catches.

The Netherlands team also proved a point or two, scoring stunning wins over South Africa and Bangladesh. Excerpts from an interview Engelbrecht granted The Hindu at New Delhi:

When did you start dreaming of the World Cup?

It really only started happening once we got the eligibility clearance from the ICC, in July. I had told coach Ryan Cook that I would be keen to put my name in the hat for the selection of the World Cup squad. I asked him if he would consider me. This was just before and during the World Cup Qualifier in Zimbabwe. You know, Cooky and I have had multiple discussions. I was helping a couple of the Netherlands batters in the background, throwing a couple of balls at the guys, almost in a coaching and consulting capacity.

So, we have been communicating throughout the year. I asked him — Would he be interested in having me as part of the selection pool? Cooky was brutally honest and said the odds of me getting onto the plane to India were slim because the team had done so well. They needed to give those guys preference, which I absolutely understood.