Cricket is now turning out to be a global sport and the cricketers across the globe have a great opportunity to showcase their skills. Most of the nations across the globe have their national teams and this beautiful game continues to grow. There are a total of 108 member nations who are part of the International Cricket Council (ICC).
Cricket is being played in several countries and the ICC conducts World Cups where the top teams compete for the coveted title. To play at the highest level is a dream of many cricketers and there are players who have represented their countries in two sports.
Let’s see five such cricketers who have represented their country in other sports before switching to cricket:
1) Jonty Rhodes
Jonty Rhodes, known for his sensational fielding, is a South African batter who made the name for himself on the back of some outstanding fielding. He is often regarded as the best fielder this game has seen and his flying effort to run out Inzamam-ul-Haq in the 1992 World Cup is still a sight to behold.
Rhodes was a beautiful Hockey player and he represented South Africa in the 1992 Olympics which were held in Barcelona in Spain. He was again called for the 1996 Olympics but Rhodes pulled out after suffering an injury to his hamstring.
2) Yuzvendra Chahal
Yuzvendra Chahal, the household name in Inda, was a Chess player during his younger days. He represented India in Chess before switching to cricket. He bowls leg-spin and often outsmarts the batters with his flight and guile.
Chahal has represented India in 72 ODIs and 80 T20Is. He has picked over 200 international wickets and is a regular member in the Indian Premier League (IPL). He was the lead spinner in the Royal Challengers Bangalore side which reached the final of IPL 2016.
3 Suzie Bates
Suzie Bates is a former New Zealand Women’s captain. Bates is one of the legends of the game who played a pivotal role in growing cricket in New Zealand. Bates is one of the only four members to have played 300+ international games in women’s cricket.
Suzie, before becoming a full-time cricketer, played Basketball. She was a very good Basketball player and represented New Zealand in the 2008 Beijing Olympics. Bates pursued cricket as a career after that and was very successful for the White Ferns.
4 Ellyse Perry
Ellyse Perry has a unique record to her name. She was the first woman to represent the country in World Cups in two sports. Perry made her international debut for Australia in 2007 in an ODI against New Zealand Women before representing Australia in the FIFA Women’s World Cup 2011. To top it, she even scored a goal against Sweden.
Perry has three international goals to her name. She switched back to cricket and is one of the modern-day greats. She has several records to her name and continues to raise the bar every time she takes the field.
5 Rudi van Vuuren
Rudi van Vuuren is a former Namibian cricketer who featured in the ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup 2003 in South Africa. van Vuuren also represented Namibia in rugby and was part of the 1999 Rugby World Cup and 2003 Rugby World Cup.
van Vuuren is the first sportsman from any country to play in both Cricket World Cup and Rugby World Cup. van Vuuren represented Namibia in five ODIs and picked up eight wickets at an average of 37.25.
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