Fifty-year-old Suhail Sattar and his 17-year-old son Yahya have etched their names into cricketing history. On Thursday, 6 November, the father-and-son duo became the first pair ever to play together in an international cricket match.
Representing Timor-Leste in a tri-nation series held in Indonesia, the Sattars took to the field against the host nation. This fixture also marked Timor-Leste’s debut in international cricket, as the small Southeast Asian nation received ICC Associate Membership earlier this year. Although the result was far from ideal—Timor-Leste were defeated by 10 wickets—the match will be remembered for its historical significance.
The father–son pair even shared the crease for a brief period before the team were dismissed for just 61 runs. Indonesia reached their target comfortably within four overs, sealing an emphatic victory. Timor-Leste went on to lose the remaining two matches of the series by identical margins, meaning their first three international games all ended in 10-wicket defeats.
| Match Summary (Timor-Leste vs Indonesia, 6 Nov) | Details |
|---|---|
| Venue | Bali, Indonesia |
| Timor-Leste’s total | 61 all out |
| Indonesia’s total | 62/0 (in 4 overs) |
| Result | Indonesia won by 10 wickets |
Interestingly, this is not the first instance of family members sharing the international stage in cricket. Earlier this year, Swiss cricketer Mette Fernandez (45) and her 17-year-old daughter Naina Metti Saju played six T20 internationals together for the Switzerland women’s team.
In domestic cricket, such stories are more common. Shivnarine Chanderpaul and his son Tagenarine played 11 first-class matches together for Guyana, while in Afghanistan’s Shpageeza Cricket League final in July, Mohammad Nabi faced his son Hasan Ishaqhil, who struck an unbeaten 50 off 34 balls to guide Amo Sharks to an eight-wicket victory over Ainak Knights.
While many more father–son pairs may grace the game in future, Suhail and Yahya Sattar will forever remain the first to do so in international cricket.