Ben Curran picked for Zimbabwe: 5 sets of brothers who represented different countries
On Monday (December 9), Ben Curran was named in Zimbabwe's squad for the white-ball series against Afghanistan. Interestingly, Ben is the middle brother of Sam and Tom, who have played for England. They are sons of former Zimbabwe international, Kevin Curran. The southpaw represented Northamptonshire until 2022, before committing to play for Zimbabwe.
Historically, there have been notable siblings who have been lucky enough to play international cricket for their countries, together or alone. The likes of Albie-Morne Morkel, Irfan-Yusuf Pathan and Mark-Steve Waugh are some famous examples.
However, there have been quite a few sets of brothers who have plied their trade for different countries in international cricket. On that note, let's take a look at five of them who went to opposite routes to realize their dreams.
#1 Dom and Ed Joyce
The top-order batters, Dom Joyce and Ed Joyce made their ODI debut together in June 2006; however, for different teams. Dom represented Ireland, while Ed played for England.
After scoring only 29 runs in three ODIs, Dom never played international cricket after 2007. Meanwhile, Ed was overlooked by the England selectors after 2007, and he decided to make a return to Ireland.
The ICC shortened the qualification period of Ed to let him represent Ireland in the 2011 World Cup. He even made his Test debut in 2018 against Pakistan. In total, Joyce garnered 3,074 runs in 97 games.
#2 Harry and Albert Trott
Harry and Albert Trott played club cricket in Melbourne together. Albert made his international debut in 1895 against England, while Harry made his first appearance in 1888.
After Albert didn't get called up for the England tour in 1896, he decided to play for Middlesex. He then played two Tests against South Africa and emerged as the top bowler with 17 wickets. However, he didn't play any international games thereafter.
Meanwhile, Harry donned the Australian jersey on 24 occasions and garnered 921 runs, with a solitary century. He even captained the side and gained much success.
#3 Darren and James Pattinson
After failing to stake a claim for the highest honor in Australia, Darren Pattinson decided to play for England - the country of his birth. He signed a two-year contract with Nottinghamshire in 2008 and impressed with his initial performances.
Interestingly, Darren was named in the 30-man England squad for the Champions Trophy. In July 2008, he was handed a controversial selection in the England Test XI against South Africa in place of Ryan Sidebottom, who missed the game due to injury. Despite returning with two wickets, he didn't play any game for the country.
On the other hand, James Pattinson made his all-format debut for Australia in 2011. He went on to play 40 games and picked up 100 wickets, with best figures of 5/27 coming in a Test fixture against England in 2013.
#4 Frank and George/ Alex Hearne
Frank, George and Alex Hearne form a set similar to Curran brothers, with two of them playing for the same country, while the other representing a different nation.
Frank made his debut for England in 1889 against South Africa. After playing only two Tests, he was invited to play for Western Province, a region in South Africa. The qualification to play for the Proteas was somewhat relaxed during this time.
Interestingly, Frank played his first game for South Africa in 1892 against England, where his brother George and Alex also made their international debut.
Although Frank went on to play three more games, his brothers didn't feature in any more international matches.
#5 Sharafuddin Ashraf and Muslim Yar
Sharafuddin Ashraf is a left-arm spinner, who plays for Afghanistan. So far, he has played 20 ODIs and 19 T20Is, while picking up a total of 21 wickets.
Meanwhile, his younger brother, Muslim Yar made his way to Germany in 2016 during the 'long summer of migration'. He made his debut for the country against Belgium in 2019. Yar has picked up 58 wickets and garnered 213 runs in 44 games for Germany.