Saudi Arabia national cricket team

Saudi Arabia
Association Saudi Cricket Centre
International Cricket Council
ICC status Affiliate (2003)
Associate members (2016)
ICC region Asia
WCL n/a (regional tournaments)
International cricket
First international Saudi Arabia Saudi Arabia v. Kuwait 
(Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia; 13 June 2004)
As of 17 September 2015

The Saudi Arabia national cricket team is the team that represents the country of Saudi Arabia in international cricket. The team is organised by the Saudi Cricket Centre, which became an affiliate member of the International Cricket Council (ICC) in 2003[1] and associate member in 2016. Saudi Arabia made its international debut at the 2004 ACC Trophy in Malaysia, and has since played regularly in Asian Cricket Council (ACC) tournaments. After finishing second in the 2014 ACC Elite League, the team qualified for the World Cricket League for the first time. Saudi Arabia was due to compete in the 2015 Division Six event, but members of the team were denied visas by the host country, forcing the team to withdraw.[2]

In April 2018, the ICC decided to grant full Twenty20 International (T20I) status to all its members. Therefore, all Twenty20 matches played between Saudi Arabia and other ICC members after 1 January 2019 will be a full T20I.[3]

International competition

The international debut of the Saudi senior team came in the ACC Trophy in 2004, where they failed to progress beyond the first round. They again failed to go past the first round in 2006, but had the remarkable achievement of scoring 499 runs in 50 overs against Brunei. Earlier in the year they came fourth in the Middle East Cup.

Arguably their greatest moment in international cricket to date came in the 2008 ACC Trophy Elite when they defeated the UAE by 29 runs, a team which has had previous One Day International experience.[4]

With the separation of the ACC Trophy into Elite and Challenge divisions, following their performance at the 2006 ACC Trophy Saudi Arabia they competed in the Elite division in the 2008 competition, in which they came 10th. This result relegated them to the 2009 ACC Trophy Challenge, in which they did not appear. They did, however, appear in the 2010 competition, in which they came 2nd and gained promotion back to the Elite division.

Besides the 50 over format, Saudi Arabia have also played in the Twenty20 format of the game in the 2007 ACC Twenty20 Cup, in which they failed to progress beyond the group stage, and the 2009 ACC Twenty20 Cup, in which they came 8th.

In 2017, 12th choice batsman and slow-ball extraordinaire, Arron Ward, joined the Coaching set-up as Skills Consultant to impart his "Marlow magic". Arron will accompany the national team for the forthcoming 2018 International Matches.

Tournament history

ACC Trophy

  • 2004: Group stage (3rd in Group B; 4 teams)
  • 2006: 10th place (17 teams)
  • 2008 Elite (ACC Div. 1): 10th place (10 teams)
  • 2010 Challenge (ACC Div. 2): 2nd place (8 teams)
  • 2012 Elite (ACC Div. 1): 9th place (10 teams)
  • 2014 Elite League (ACC Div. 2): 2nd place (6 teams)
  • 2016 Elite League (ACC Div. 2): qualified

ACC Twenty20 Cup

  • 2007: Group stage (4th in Group B; 5 teams)
  • 2009: 8th place (12 teams)
  • 2011: 10th place (10 teams)
  • 2013: Did not qualify
  • 2015: 3rd place (6 teams)
  • 2017: qualified

Records

Statistics from Saudi Arabia in ACC events

Current Squad
Name Matches Runs Wickets
Abdul Qadir450
Mohammed Nazim51020
Abdullah Qureshi311
Afzal Saleem52994
Akram Aslam4153
Faheem Afrad5710
Samburudeen Mohammed143196
Hussain Anwar1010511
Ibrarul Haq51129
Mohammad Abdullah7585
Mohammad Nadeem947616
Shahbaz Rasheed53661
Shoaib Ali516411
Usman Quddusi200
Notable former Players
Name Matches Runs Wickets
Shafiq Ahmed1016814
Mohammad Afzal83538
Hussain Bhatti25810
Khalid Butt51150
Mohammad Ramzan426

Highest scores

Hammad Saeed – 181 vs Bhutan at The Padang, on 8 June 2014

Shahbaz Rasheed – 138* vs Maldives at Indian Association Ground, Saudi on 11 June 2014

Khalid Butt – 110 vs U.A.E at Royal Military College, Kuala Lumpur on 25 July 2008

Shahbaz Rasheed – 108 vs Bhutan at The Padang, Singapore on 8 June 2014

Mohammad Afzal – 103 vs Thailand at AIT Ground, on 9 December 2010

Afzal Saleem – 100* vs Maldives at Indian Association Ground, Saudi on 11 June 2014

Samburudeen Mohammed – 87* vs Maldives national cricket team at Indian Association Ground, Saudi on 11 June 2016

Best bowling figures

Hussain Bhatti – 7/65 vs Brunei at PTI School, Chiang Mai on 5 December 2010

Shoaib Ali – 5/25 vs Maldives at Thailand Cricket Ground, Bangkok on 11 December 2010

Shafiq Ahmed – 5/45 vs U.A.E at Royal Military College, Kuala Lumpur on 25 July 2008

Mohammad Ramzan – 4/38 vs Bhutan at ICC Academy Oval #2, Dubai on 10 October 2012

Ibrarul Haq – 4/42 vs Bahrain at Indian Association Ground, Saudi on 10 June 2014

Current squad

The following list contains the 14 players in Saudi Arabia's squad for the 2010 TO 2016 ACC Trophy Challenge:[5]
  • Shoaib Ali(Captain)
  • Hammad Saeed
  • Shafiq Ahmed
  • Hussain Anwar
  • Afzal Muhammad
  • Faiq Habib
  • Mohammad Abdullah
  • Faheem Afrad
  • Zeeshan Butt (Wicket keeper)
  • Amir Sajjad
  • Samburudeen Mohammed (Wicket keeper)
  • Umer Baig
  • Samar Hussain
  • Khurram Karamat

References

  1. ↑ "CricketArchive – Saudi Arabia page". CricketArchive. 6 December 2010. Retrieved 6 December 2010.
  2. ↑ Other matches played by Saudi Arabia – CricketArchive. Retrieved 17 September 2015.
  3. ↑ "All T20 matches between ICC members to get international status". International Cricket Council. 26 April 2018. Retrieved 1 September 2018.
  4. ↑ "Saudi Arabia v UAE". CricketArchive. 25 July 2008. Retrieved 5 November 2010.
  5. ↑ "ACC Trophy Challenge 2010 – Saudi Arabia". Asian Cricket Council. 5 December 2010. Retrieved 6 December 2010.
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