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Champions Trophy 2017: 5 players you did not know who won the tournament

Crookes played in every match of South Africa’s 1998 ICC Knockout campaign

The 2017 Champions Trophy has entered the twilight of its group stage with Group A having already been decided yesterday and Group B entering its final leg of games. Even though rain has played a spoil-sport so far, there have been some quality games with quite a few surprises. England and Bangladesh are confirmed of a place in the semi-finals while New Zealand and Australia have been eliminated.

With Sri Lanka beating India, Group B has become wide open with all four teams with a win each, making the last leg of Group B matches virtual quarter-finals.

Over the years, the Champions Trophy has seen many of cricket’s finest stars play the tournament with many of them lifting the trophy. However, there have been a few players who won the Champions Trophy but due to their sporadic time with the national team, they are not very well known. Here are five players you did not know who played in the Champions Trophy. 

#5 Derek Crookes in 1998 

Derek Crookes played for South Africa from 1994-2000, appearing in 32 ODIs. Crookes took 25 wickets at an average of 40.43 and scored 296 runs with the bat, scoring a fifty against India at Sharjah in 1996. 

Crookes was chosen in the squad for the 1998 ICC Knockout (later re-modeled into the Champions Trophy) and played all matches for South Africa, picking up only two wickets. He batted only once in the tournament during the final against West Indies at Dhaka.

Coming in at No.8, Crookes batted steadily and added 37 runs for the seventh wicket along with Hansie Cronje to take South Africa past the finish line.

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