Paul van Meekeren

Paul Adriaan van Meekeren, born on January 15, 1993, is a talented Dutch cricketer who has played domestically for Somerset and Durham in English county cricket, as well as for St Kitts and Nevis Patriots in T20 franchise cricket. He is a right-handed batsman and right-arm fast-medium bowler.

Van Meekeren's international career with the Netherlands national cricket team began in 2013, when he made his T20I debut against Kenya. A month later, he made his One Day International (ODI) debut against South Africa, where he took the wicket of batting ace Hashim Amla. In the 2016 WT20, he delivered a match-winning spell of 4-11 against Ireland, which remains his best figures in T20I cricket.

Over the years, Van Meekeren has continued to showcase his skills on the domestic and international stages. In 2016, he signed a short-term deal with Somerset County Cricket Club, which was later extended to a two-year contract. In 2017, he was included in the Netherlands squad for the Inaugural Desert T20 Challenge, where he broke the record for the highest score by a number 11 batsman in Twenty20 Internationals.

Van Meekeren has also represented the Netherlands in various other tournaments, including the 2019 ICC T20 World Cup Qualifier and the 2021 ICC Men's T20 World Cup. In 2021, he became the first Dutch player to play in the Caribbean Premier League, representing the St Kitts and Nevis Patriots.

Despite facing challenges during the COVID-19 pandemic, when he had to work as a delivery boy for Uber Eats, Van Meekeren remained committed to his cricketing career. In September 2021, he signed a two-year deal with Gloucestershire County Cricket Club.

Van Meekeren's most recent achievement came in the 2023 Cricket World Cup, where he led the Dutch to a famous victory over Bangladesh by scalping 4 wickets, showcasing his continued excellence on the international stage.