Zubayr Hamza

Zubayr Hamza is without doubt one of South Africa’s most talented & promising cricketers. Cape Town born and bred, Zubayr is a proud product of the renowned Rondebosch Boys High School (RBHS) program, which has served as somewhat of a Cricketer production line for Western Province Cricket over the years. Following his prolific run-scoring for one of the country’s most desirable & successful schools, Zubayr was selected for Western Province from the Under 13 age group onwards. A regular feature for the province at each step of the way through his youth cricket, he would go on to debut for the senior side at 18 years old & was a Test Cricketer by 23.

A gifted Right-hander that can temper red-ball patience with white-ball acceleration, his debut First Class appearance was in a 3-Day Fixture against Kwa-Zulu Natal in February 2014 and in just his 2nd game a couple of weeks later, he top scored, striking a high-quality 94 (128) helping set up a huge Innings win over Eastern Province. The 2014-15 summer would be a continuation of his promising start as he struck 580 runs @ 58.00 including a sensational 202* (294) in the season opener. He was selected for the South African Emerging players tour to Sri Lanka less than 12 months later, with a top score of 95* (102) in the tour’s final fixture. The following winter, he represented the University Sports South Africa squad to take on the South African & Sri Lankan Emerging players sides in a Tri-Series in Pretoria. He was excellent with scores of 32, 111*, 94, 28 & 67 and it cemented him a place in the top echelon’s of the domestic game in SA and at the top of the pecking order. He has been selected for the South African XI to take on a number of touring sides including Bangladesh, Zimbabwe, England & India.

A little under 18 months later and following continued good form for the Cape Cobras, Zubayr debuted for South Africa in the 3rd Test against Pakistan at the Wanderers in Johannesburg in January 2019, scoring a first Innings 41 (68). In doing so, he also became South Africa’s 100th Test player since readmission. He has since gone on to play 6 Tests in total as well as a solitary ODI, against The Netherlands, scoring 56.

In his initial appearance in the UK, a 2014 trip to Devon having linked with Paignton CC, Zubayr unsurprisingly, was at his productive best. Having scored 772 runs @ 64.33, Zubayr also chipped in with the ball, bagging 4-21 (8) in his only bowl of the summer with his rarely-sighted, leg-spin bowling. That haul came as Paignton CC restricted Chudleigh CC to 181 which was then knocked off in under 28 overs as Zubayr continued his day out with a blazing 132* (79).

In summer 2021, Zubayr joined Saffron Walden CC in the ECB East Anglian Premier League. A season interrupted by a South African ‘A’ tour, Zuby was outstanding, scoring 649 runs @ 72.11 in just 10 innings with 3 hundreds. A simply outstanding return.

Seeking a return to the UK next summer, Zubayr will no doubt be one of the biggest signing available for next summer. A Cricket South Africa Level Two Coach, he’ll be a great pick up for any club seeking a dashing top order batsman.