The eldest of the Zulfiqar triplets, Saqib Zulfiqar is a leg-spinning all-rounder who, along with his brothers Sikander Zulfiqar and Asad Zulfiqar, learned the game under the guidance of their father, Zulfiqar Ahmad, himself a former Netherlands international.

The triplets were regulars in Dutch age-group cricket while representing Amsterdamsche Cricket Club in domestic competitions, playing alongside their father and elder brother Rehmat. In 2017, they created history by becoming the first triplets to feature together in representative international cricket, taking the field in a List A match against the United Arab Emirates national cricket team at Amstelveen.

Of the three brothers, Saqib has gone on to establish himself most prominently at international level, making his official ODI debut after the Netherlands national cricket team regained ODI status in 2018.

A somewhat unconventional leg-spinner, Zulfiqar delivers the ball over a loosely planted — and at times even lifted — front foot. His bowling gained attention at club level following his move to Punjab Rotterdam. However, it was as a floating batter, often deployed as a lower middle-order finisher, that he re-entered the national setup ahead of the Netherlands’ Super League campaign.

Zulfiqar made his ODI debut against Zimbabwe national cricket team in 2019 but then endured an almost two-year wait before returning to international action, as the Dutch went 23 months without playing an ODI and he missed out on T20 selection.

Though he featured regularly during the Super League, his most notable performances came during the World Cup Qualifier in Zimbabwe. In a high-scoring tie against the West Indies cricket team, Zulfiqar returned figures of 2 for 43, emerging as the pick of the Dutch bowlers. His effort, however, was overshadowed by Logan van Beek’s dramatic solo super-over display. Similarly, a composed unbeaten 33 against Scotland national cricket team was eclipsed by Bas de Leede’s match-winning heroics.

While Zulfiqar’s contributions have largely come in a supporting role, he has increasingly proven himself a dependable presence for the Netherlands, steadily carving out his place in the national side.