Born: July 5, 1975, Johannesburg
Current age: 32 years
Major teams: South Africa, Gauteng, MCC, Titans, Transvaal, Warriors, Worcestershire
Batting style Right-hand bat
Bowling style Right-arm fast-medium

- Test batting average of 38.75 in 3 Tests
- 6568 first-class runs at 42
- 136 wickets in 106 first-class games

Here’s what Cricinfo said about him (back in 2006):

Zander de Bruyn is reminiscent of the late Hansie Cronje at the crease; tall and elegant, the purveyor of crunching drives, but also with a question mark over his ability against fast, short-pitched bowling. And he is a useful medium-paced bowler to boot – able to break partnerships or keep an end tight for a lengthy period. In 2003-04, he emulated the great Barry Richards, by becoming only the second player in South African domestic cricket history to score 1000 runs in a SuperSport Series or Currie Cup season. Although he excelled at schoolboy level, de Bruyn’s career never really got off the ground until he moved to Easterns in 2002, where he joined forces with their ultra-competitive coach – and newly-appointed national team mentor – Ray Jennings. That season, he played a huge role in an improbable Series victory, averaging 60 and scoring 169 in the final as Easterns overturned a first-innings deficit against the international-strength Western Province attack, and he has gone from strength to strength ever since, until earning a call-up for the Test tour of India in November 2004. Despite scoring 83 on debut, he was dropped after only two Tests. He signed a two-year contract with the Warriors in May 2006 and was appointed captain of the domestic side in September.

JF View:

Inevitably, his stats playing for Worcestershire have been dug up by various media channels with his only century for them being against Somerset. Whatever that tells you. That he didn’t hit many centuries I guess…I prefer to concentrate on his winter form in SA. Different pitches admittedly and perhaps quality of oppo but a decent pointer nonetheless. An average of 35.85 with two centuries and four fifties in 11 games speaks solid, consistent – and hopefully as reliable as Mr Mckenzie, thank you very much.