5 Best Cricketers who played for two countries
Dirk Nannes – one of few people to play for two countriesThe biggest dream for any sportsperson is to represent their country at the national level. The feeling of wearing a jersey emblazoned with the national colours and being on the sport field is a different level of excitement from domestic matches. For a cricketer, getting your first cap is a matter of great pride. Playing for your country is an honour that very few ever get. But it is not always that a sportsperson plays for a country they were born in.Nowadays, one of the most common things on a cricket field is to see players who were born in one country play for a different one. Take for example, Kevin Pietersen. Born and raised in South Africa, Pietersen made his first class debut over there. But after repeatedly failing to get a chance in the first team, he decided to try his chances in England and met with immediate success. Also born in South Africa was all-rounder Grant Elliott. Now, he plays for New Zealand and was a key factor in the Kiwis making their first ever ICC World Cup final earlier this year.But there is also another category of players – those who have played international cricket for two countries. Fast bowler Dirk Nannes would be a good example. After getting only limited recognition in Australia’s domestic league, Nannes was selected for Netherlands’ squad in the 2008 ICC Cricket World Cup Qualifier. Two months later, he was also selected for Australia’s T20I team in 2009, making him the first player to play for Netherlands and Australia. Another relatively unknown player is Gavin Hamilton, who played one test for England and 38 ODIs for Scotland.Here, we take a look at some other players who played international cricket for two countries, and in some cases, were the first to do so for their country:
#5 Kepler Wessels - Australia and South Africa
If there is anyone who has achieved success with both the countries he has played for, it has to be Kepler Wessels. To this day, he remains to be the only person to score 1000 runs in test matches for both the countries he has represented. He has also played 50 matches for both countries, in addition to being the first person to play for two full members of the ICC.
Wessels was introduced to the game at the age of 6, and he took to it immediately. If not for a lucky escape with deadly nephritis, Wessels might well have become an international swimmer. After that incident, he regularly played cricket for the South African U-13 side, scoring a string of half-centuries. It was soon the 1970s, and the Kerry Packer World Series happened. Wessels was lured away to Australia, and he made his international debut for them. He scored 123 and 137 for the domestic teams, and his inclusion was sealed.
Wessels faced the WSC World XI in his first ever international game, but only made 20. His first hundred came against West Indies, where he scored 126. His best came in the one-day series as he scored 136, 40 and 70 which helped Australia win the tournament. He was brilliant in tests, with 162 against England, 141 against Sri Lanka and 179 against Pakistan. He was rightly one of the new faces expected to take Australian cricket to the next level. But disaster struck. Australia was dismantled by the West Indian fast bowlers and he was dropped. Though he was back in form in the home series, he was unable to maintain it and soon lost his place in the national squad despite playing some of his best cricket.
It was 1991, and South Africa was eligible to play test cricket and ODI cricket. Wessels was asked to captain their tour to Australia and he readily agreed. His experience in playing international cricket overshadowed the protests of the local fans and he was duly named captain. He proved his critics wrong as he led South Africa to a victory over the Australian team. His conservative approach to the game led to many losses and he was heavily criticized back at home. His poor ODI numbers 109 matches with only an average of 34 and a strike rate of 55 did not help either.
Wessels last tour came in 1994, where he scored a terrific 105 at Lords, helping South Africa to a memorable win. He thus became the first batsman to score two centuries for two different teams. After the series, Wessels retired and was replaced by Hansie Cronje. Post retirement, he delved into coaching and took over the reins of Northamptonshire and the Chennai Super Kings, leading the latter to two consecutive victories in the IPL.
Though he never achieved the level of consistency he once did for Australia, Wessels did his best to play well for his home country. His record for both countries is equally good, though his tenure in Australia was a tad better. But Wessels remains the best ever cricketer to play for two countries, and it will be very tough to knock him off that position.