5 father-son combinations to have played the ODI World Cup ft. Tim and Bas de Leede
When The Netherlands walked out to face Pakistan in Hyderabad on Friday, their star all-rounder Bas de Leede joined his father Tim in having represented his country at the ODI World Cup.
De Leede left his mark with the ball too, picking up four wickets off his nine overs as Pakistan were bowled out for 286 at the Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium in Hyderabad.
The seam-bowling all-rounder was a big component behind The Netherlands qualifying for the 2023 World Cup after bagging 15 wickets in the Qualifiers in Zimbabwe in addition to scoring 285 runs.
While Bas made his ODI World Cup debut on Friday, his father Tim played three editions of the same in 1996, 2003, and 2007. In 14 matches in the tournament, he tallied 223 runs at an average of 18.58 apart from bagging 14 wickets at an average of 38.85.
This is just the latest addition to the elite company of father-son combinations to have played the ODI World Cup though. Let's take a look at five other instances of the same in this feature:
#1 Don and Derek Pringle
Don Pringle was a fast bowler based out of England but went on to ply his trade in Kenya. He played a couple of ODIs, both of which came in the 1975 World Cup for East Africa, with the team comprising players from Kenya, Uganda, Tanzania, and Zambia.
He went wicketless in those two games as East Africa lost to England and India. He sadly passed away a few months later having met with a tragic car accident.
Don's son Derek Pringle went the other route - he was born in Nairobi but forged a decent career for England. He represented them in two ODI World Cups in 1987 and 1992, returning figures of 3/22 in the final of the second of those against Pakistan, although England lost the contest.
The Pringles mark a very rare instance of a father-son duo having played the ODI World Cup while representing different countries.
#2 Kevin and Sam Curran
Sticking with the trend of father-son combinations to represent different countries, Kevin and Sam Curran are also a part of this list.
The late Kevin represented Zimbabwe in the ODI World Cups of 1983 and 1987, scoring 287 runs apart from scalping nine wickets in 11 games. Those happened to be his only appearances in international cricket as he never played a Test match.
His sons, Tom, Ben, and Sam are all active cricketers in England with Tom and Sam having played considerable international cricket.
Sam Curran, who was the Player of the Tournament at the T20 World Cup 2022, made his ODI World Cup debut on Thursday, October 5, against New Zealand and picked up the lone wicket that England could manage.
Interestingly enough, Tom Curran was a part of England's title-winning squad in the 2019 World Cup although he never got to play a game.
#3 Rod and Tom Latham
Like father like son, Rod and Tom Latham are wicketkeeper-batters to have played for New Zealand. Rod was a right-handed batter by trade and represented the Blackcaps in the 1992 ODI World Cup under Martin Crowe's captaincy as the team made the semifinals.
Rod scored just 136 runs in seven innings at an average of 19.42 with a half-century against South Africa in Auckland. Over time, his son Tom has gone on to enjoy a successful career at the top level in ODIs and Tests, even taking over the mantle of captaincy when required.
While Tom Latham didn't get a game in the ODI World Cup of 2015, he was the team's frontline wicketkeeper in the 2019 edition. He also led New Zealand in their 2023 World Cup opener against England in Kane Williamson's absence as the two-time runners-up began their campaign with a resounding nine-wicket win.
Tom's returns in the ODI World Cup are pretty modest too - only 155 runs at an average of 19.37. He will certainly want to better that in the ongoing tournament in India and aid New Zealand's quest for their first World Cup title.
#4 Chris and Stuart Broad
Chris Broad played three matches at the ODI World Cup in 1987 although he couldn't leave too much of a mark on the tournament. He mustered 67 runs in three innings at a scratchy strike rate of 44.66 and was unsurprisingly left out of the playing XI as England went on to make the final.
His son Stuart made a name for himself as a world-class seamer over the years, ending his Test career with 604 wickets. Stuart also represented England in three ODI World Cups in 2007, 2011, and 2015, bagging 10 wickets in as many games at an average of 43.90.
Since England's white-ball revamp after the 2015 World Cup debacle, Stuart Broad was discarded from the setup even as he returned to play a lone ODI in 2016. His most memorable spell in ODI World Cups remains the 4/15 he snared against South Africa to bowl England to a famous six-run win in Chennai in 2011.
#5 Geoff, Shaun, and Mitchell Marsh
Geoff Marsh was one of the heroes of Australia's triumph in the 1987 World Cup, scoring 428 runs at an average of 61.14 with two centuries and a half-century to his name. The opener also turned out in the 1992 edition but couldn't really replicate those heroics, tallying 151 runs in five innings at an average of 30.20.
Both of Geoff's sons have gone on to play in the ODI World Cup for Australia. Mitchell Marsh featured in three matches in 2015, picking up a five-wicket haul against England as well. While he didn't turn out in the 2019 edition, he is expected to play a major role in the 2023 World Cup and is likely to open the innings alongside David Warner.
Mitchell's older brother Shaun has now retired from all cricket but was a part of Australia's squad at the 2019 World Cup. He turned out in just two games and scored just 26 runs before a fractured arm ended his tournament. As it turned out, it was the last time he donned the national colors as well.
Will Bas de Leede enjoy a fruitful run in the 2023 World Cup? Have your say in the comments section below!