5 Cricketers Who Played Other Sports Before Making The Jump to Cricket

There’s a thing about being a natural at any sport you play but not everyone is endowed with such talent. These people have the luxury of trying out different trades before choosing one of them as a career.

Since most sports demand physical and mental strength, developing a particular aspect in one sport might come in handy for another. Very few or none are capable of playing at the highest level in different sports at the same time, however, and therefore one needs to make a decision. West Indian legend Vivian Richards has played professional football apart from ripping bowlers up in cricket.

On that note, we take a look at 5 cricketers who have played other sports:

1) Ellyse Perry

The Aussie all-rounder is one the best in the women’s game. Her records speak for themselves. In the ODI format, Perry has scored 3022 runs at an average of 52.1 in just 112 matches. On the bowling front, she has taken 152 wickets at an average of 24.29.

To add to that, she has represented Australia in the women’s football and cricket World cup, becoming the first Australian to do so. She made her debut for both teams at the tender age of 16. Besides that, Perry has played for Sydney FC and Canberra United.

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2) Jonty Rhodes

The legendary South African is known for raising the benchmark in terms of fielding. He was one of the very first people to give importance to that aspect of the game. His agility, however, was developed while playing a different sport.

Jonty represented South Africa in Hockey and was part of the team that almost qualified for the 1992 Olympics. He didn’t quit and made an attempt in the next edition, but a hamstring injury kept him out from the game. He continued playing Cricket and retired in 2003.

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3) Brendon McCullum

The maverick wicket-keeper batsman can set the stage on fire with his batting pyrotechnics. On the field, when he’s not wicket-keeping, he’s a livewire. His strength and durability come from playing Rugby for the New Zealand side.

Brendon McCullum was pretty good at the sport if a few people are to be believed. Dan Carter, a legendary rugby player, was kept on the sidelines because of McCullum. Nevertheless, his switch to Cricket would have made New Zealand cricket fans happy. He returned to rugby briefly in 2018, even though he played just one game before leaving.

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4) Suzie Bates

Bates is another legend from the country of New Zealand. She has left her mark on cricket as an all-rounder. In 124 matches for the Black Caps, Bates has scored 4534 runs at an average of 42, while snaring 75 wickets with the ball.

Bates has represented New Zealand in Basketball. She was part of New Zealand’s basketball team at the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing. in 2011, she gave up her spot in the basketball team once she was offered the role of the captain for New Zealand in cricket.

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5) AB de Villiers

The legendary batsman is one of the greatest to have ever played the game of cricket. He has the fastest fifty, fastest hundred, and the fastest 150 to his name in the ODI format. Knowing how talented the South African is, it barely comes as a surprise that AB de Villiers excelled in other sports as well.

Although he never made it to the national team in any format, De Villiers has played hockey at a high level. There was a rumor a few years ago that said De Villiers has represented his country in Hockey, Badminton, and Tennis.

However, the man himself put a stop to the rumors in an interview back in 2016.

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