Former Australian all rounder Moises Henriques has made the decision to change his international allegiance to Portugal. His goal is to assist his country of birth in securing a spot in the upcoming ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2028.
Born on the Portuguese island of Madeira, Henriques is fully eligible to complete this transition because his final international outing for Australia occurred back in August 2021. Though he was born in Portugal, he migrated to Australia as an infant. He holds the unique distinction of being only the second Portuguese born cricketer to participate in Test match cricket, following South Africa’s Dick Westcott.
Eligibility and Qualification Path
According to the regulations established by the International Cricket Council (ICC), a cricketer must complete a mandatory three year stand down phase before transitioning from a full member country to an associate nation. Having fulfilled this requirement, Henriques will return to international cricket when Portugal launches its European sub regional qualifier journey in Finland.
The qualification route specifies that a total of two squads from the European region will earn a spot in the main tournament, excluding the eight nations that are already exempt, along with four additional teams selected according to the official ICC rankings. Henriques intends to guide Portugal all the way to the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2028, a tournament slated to be co hosted by New Zealand and Australia.
Highlights of Henriques’ International Career
Debut: Henriques first appeared in white ball cricket for Australia in 2009.
Test Transition: He made his Test debut in 2013 against India, hitting a pair of half centuries during the Chennai Test match, which Australia ultimately lost.
Test Statistics: He participated in just four Test matches before falling out of national contention.
ODI Performance: Across 16 One Day Internationals, he maintained a batting average of nine across 15 innings and collected eight wickets, which included a career best three wicket haul.
T20I Record: In his 24 T20I appearances, he accumulated 355 runs at an average of 20.88, registering two half centuries. With the ball, he claimed seven wickets.
A Decorated Domestic and Franchise Career
Henriques boasts a highly successful track record in domestic and franchise T20 cricket. In the Big Bash League (BBL), he secured three championship titles. His maiden BBL trophy arrived during the tournament’s inaugural 2011 12 season. Later, serving as the captain of the Sydney Sixers, he guided the franchise to consecutive championship titles during the 2019 20 and 2020 21 seasons.
On the Indian Premier League (IPL) stage, he was an integral part of the David Warner led Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) squad that clinched the 2016 IPL trophy by defeating Virat Kohli’s Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) in a memorable final.
His domestic success spans multiple eras and formats:
Early T20 Success: He won the domestic T20 Big Bash competition during the 2008 09 season as a player before the league was rebranded.
Champions League T20: He secured two titles in the now defunct tournament, winning in 2009 with New South Wales and in 2012 with the Sydney Sixers.
Australian Domestic Circuit: His trophy cabinet features three Australia Domestic One Day Cup titles alongside a solitary Sheffield Shield championship victory, all achieved representing New South Wales.
Overall Career T20 Statistics
Throughout his extensive career, Henriques has played in 301 T20 matches. He has amassed 5,746 runs at a career batting average of 26.48, featuring 27 half centuries and maintaining a scoring strike rate of 127.25. Operating as a pace bowler, he has taken 120 wickets while maintaining a bowling average of 29.18 and an economy rate of 8.21 runs per over.
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