Former Australia all-rounder Moises Henriques is set to begin a new chapter in his cricket career after deciding to represent Portugal. The experienced cricketer hopes to help the European nation qualify for the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2028.
Henriques was born on the Portuguese island of Madeira before his family moved to Australia when he was still a baby. Since his last match for Australia came in August 2021, he is now eligible to switch to Portugal under ICC rules.
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According to ICC regulations, players moving from a Full Member nation to an Associate Member must complete a three-year waiting period before becoming eligible. Having met that requirement, Henriques is expected to play for Portugal in the upcoming European sub-regional qualifiers in Finland.
The qualification tournament offers a chance for two teams from the region, apart from the already-qualified nations and those progressing through ICC rankings, to move forward in the race for the 2028 T20 World Cup. The tournament will be jointly hosted by New Zealand and Australia.
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Interestingly, Henriques is only the second Portugal-born cricketer to have played Test cricket. The first was Dick Westcott, who represented South Africa from 1954 to 1958
Henriques’ International Career
Henriques made his international debut for Australia in limited-overs cricket in 2009. Four years later, he earned his Test cap against India in Chennai, where he impressed by scoring two half-centuries despite Australia’s defeat.
However, his Test career lasted only four matches. He also represented Australia in 16 One-Day Internationals and 24 T20 Internationals.
In T20Is, Henriques scored 355 runs at an average of 20.88, including two half-centuries. He also picked up seven wickets with his medium pace. In ODIs, he scored 135 runs from 15 innings at an average of nine and claimed eight wickets, with his best bowling figures being three wickets in a match.
Henriques domestic career
Henriques is one of the most succesful all-rounder in domestic and franchise cricket. He has lifted the Big Bash League trophy three times with the Sydney Sixers. His first title came in the inaugural 2011-12 season, while he later led the team to championships in the 2019-20 and 2020-21 editions as captain.
In the Indian Premier League, Henriques was part of the Sunrisers Hyderabad squad that won the 2016 title under David Warner’s captaincy after defeating Royal Challengers Bengaluru in the final.
Before the BBL began, he also won Australia’s domestic T20 Big Bash competition in the 2008-09 season. He added two Champions League T20 titles to his collection, winning with New South Wales in 2009 and the Sydney Sixers in 2012.
His domestic achievements also include three One-Day Cup titles and one Sheffield Shield trophy with New South Wales.
Henriques’ T20 Record
Henriques has built an impressive record in T20 cricket over the years. In 301 matches, he has scored 5,746 runs at an average of 26.48 and a strike rate of 127.25. His tally includes 27 half-centuries.
With the ball, the pace-bowling all-rounder has taken 120 wickets at an average of 29.18 while maintaining an economy rate of 8.21 runs per over.