Syazrul Idrus is a Malaysian professional cricketer who has represented his country primarily in the T20I format of the sport, as a frontline pace bowler. In the Malaysian domestic circuit, he has played for the Malaysian Armed Forces, the Royal Malaysian Air Force, and the Northern Strikers – across formats. Representing Malaysia, Syazrul won 3 ‘Silver’ medals (in the men’s T10, T20, and 50-overs events) at the 2023 edition of the Southeast Asian Games.
Born Name
Syazrul Ezat Idrus
Nick Name
Syazrul
Syazrul Idrus as seen in an Instagram Post in October 2022 (Malaysian Cricket Association / Instagram)
Sun Sign
Capricorn
Born Place
Malaysia
Residence
Malaysia
Nationality
Occupation
Professional Cricketer
Syazrul Idrus as seen in an Instagram Post in July 2022 (India Today / Instagram)
Batting
Right-Handed
Bowling
Right-Arm Medium
Role
Bowler
Build
Athletic
Height
5 ft 9 in or 175 cm
Weight
78 kg or 172 lbs
Syazrul Idrus as seen in an Instagram Post in July 2023 (The Sun Daily / Instagram)
Girlfriend / Spouse
Syazrul has dated –
Zulhijjah Binti Azan (2015-Present) – Syazrul tied the knot with Malaysian professional squash player Zulhijjah Binti Azan in 2015. She was a part of the Malaysian squad that secured the ‘Silver’ medal at the 2014 edition of the Women’s World Team Squash Championships.
Race / Ethnicity
Asian
He is of Malaysian descent.
Hair Color
Black
Eye Color
Dark Brown
Sexual Orientation
Straight
Distinctive Features
Toned physique
Short-cropped, side-parted hair
Clean-shaven look
Affable smile
Religion
Islam
Syazrul Idrus as seen in an Instagram Post in May 2023 (Jagran English / Instagram)
Syazrul Idrus Facts
Syazrul first came into the spotlight in July 2022 when he became the first Malaysian male bowler to have recorded a hat-trick (the feat of dismissing 3 batters off 3 successive legal deliveries) in the T20I format. He achieved the feat in Malaysia’s 3rd match of the round-robin stage of the 2022 Malaysia Quadrangular Series (a T20I tournament that also involved Bhutan, Maldives, and Thailand) – recording sensational bowling figures (4/17 in 4 overs) against Thailand who were bowled out for a meager 30 runs in 13.1 overs.
Malaysia won this match by 9 wickets and Syazrul was named the ‘Player of the Match’ for his performance. In the team’s 5th (and penultimate) match of the round-robin stage of the tournament, also against Thailand, he produced match-best bowling figures (4/21 in 3.5 overs) as Malaysia easily overhauled Thailand’s score of 73 runs, winning with 9 wickets to spare. He was named the ‘Player of the Match’ once again.
Malaysia finished the round-robin stage of the tournament with a perfect 6-0 win-loss record. In the final, he once again recorded match-best bowling figures (3/13 in 3.1 overs) to limit Bhutan to a paltry total of 82 runs. Hosts Malaysia cruised to a 9-wicket win to lift the title as Syazrul finished as the leading wicket-taker in the tournament (16 dismissals).
On July 26, 2023, he created history by becoming the first cricketer ever to have captured 7 wickets in a men’s T20I match – during the opening game of the ICC (International Cricket Council) Men’s T20 World Cup Asia B Qualifier tournament. He picked up the first 4 Chinese wickets to fall – in the 5th over (his 2nd) of their innings – to reduce them to 13/4. He then captured the 5th Chinese wicket as well – in the 7th over (his 3rd).
In his 4th (and final) over (the 9th of the Chinese innings), a maiden (an over in which no runs have been scored off the bat), Syazrul scalped 2 more wickets to leave China reeling at 20/9. He finished with eye-popping bowling figures – 7 wickets for just 8 runs in 4 overs that included 20 dot balls (balls off which no runs are scored). Incredibly, all 7 of his victims were ‘bowled’ (a mode of dismissal in which the ball delivered by a bowler hits the stumps, either directly or after some contact with the bat or the batter’s body).
China’s team eventually folded for just 23 runs (the then 3rd-lowest total ever in a men’s T20I match) in 11.2 overs. 6 of their 10 dismissed batters registered ducks (a duck is a batter’s dismissal for a score of zero) and 5 of those 6 were dismissed by Syazrul. Malaysia went on to win the match by 8 wickets (with a massive 91 balls remaining) and Syazrul was named the ‘Player of the Match’ for his historic performance.
Malaysia won its 3 remaining matches in the competition as well to become the champions of the 2023 ICC Men’s T20 World Cup Asia B Qualifier tournament – as Syazrul finished the tournament as the highest wicket-taker overall (10 wickets in 4 innings at a scarcely believable bowling average of 5.60 runs conceded per wicket taken).
The tournament triumph qualified Malaysia for participation in the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup Asia Regional Final tournament to be held in October and November 2023. The top 2 teams in this tournament would then progress to the 2024 edition of the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup.
Syazrul’s aforementioned bowling figures (7 wickets for just 8 runs in 4 overs) were not just the then best by a male cricketer in the T20I (T20 International) format, they were also the then best figures by a male cricketer in any senior-level T20 match (international or domestic). The only other male player, as of July 2023, to have picked up 7 wickets in any senior-level T20 match (international or domestic) was South Africa-born Dutch international Colin Ackermann who recorded figures of 7/18, representing the Leicestershire Foxes against the Birmingham Bears, in August 2019.
In men’s T20I matches, Syazrul bettered Peter Aho’s record (6 wickets for just 5 runs in 3.4 overs) that was set in October 2021. Peter was representing Nigeria, in a match against Sierra Leone.
As of July 2023, Syazrul (50 wickets in 26 matches) had the 2nd best career bowling strike rate (10.40 balls bowled per wicket taken) by a male cricketer in the T20I format – only behind Dhruv Maisuria of Botswana (10.33). He also had the 4th best career bowling average (11.62 runs conceded per wicket taken) by a male cricketer in the T20I format – behind Yalinde Nkanya of Tanzania (8.60), Dhruv Maisuria of Botswana (8.98), and Vraj Patel of Kenya (10.15).
As of July 2023, Syazrul was also the 2nd fastest male cricketer to have reached the milestone of 50 wickets (achieved in 25 matches) in the T20I format – again, only behind Dhruv Maisuria of Botswana (22 matches).
