5 Cricketers Who Played Other Sports Before Playing Cricket: If you have been able to play a certain sport at the international level, there is a general perception that it’s the only sport you must have played since your childhood. It’s true in most cases.
But, there are examples of certain sportspersons who actually played a few different sports at the junior level and it was only when they had to step up to the senior level that they decided which sport they were going to pursue.
Here are the 5 cricketers who played other sports before playing cricket:
Ellyse Perry
Ellyse Perry is arguably the greatest all-rounder that the women’s game has ever seen. She is so good with the all-round abilities that she can get into the Australian side either as a specialist batswoman or a specialist bowler.
However, the interesting thing about Perry is that apart from cricket, she has also represented Australia in football. In fact, she has played for Australia in a football World Cup.
AB de Villiers
Who doesn’t know AB de Villiers? He’s probably the first player who showcased the 360-degree game in the international arena.
When De Villiers is on a song, you can’t set the field for him as he can hit the same length in two or three different areas of the ground.
De Villiers was also a keen Hockey player at the junior level, but he soon realized that he was far better in cricket than in Hockey and decided to pay his full attention to cricket.
Jonty Rhodes
Jonty Rhodes is one of the greatest fielders to have ever braced the game. He was a very useful middle-order batsman as well for South Africa, but his fielding was so good that it overshadowed his batting.
Rhodes, just like De Villiers, was also pretty good at Hockey and he was even selected in the South African national team.
If South Africa had qualified for the Olympic Games in 1992, Rhodes would have represented South Africa in the Olympics.
However, South Africa couldn’t qualify that year and Rhodes turned his focus to cricket thereafter.
Brendon McCullum
Brendon McCullum was not only a very attacking wicket-keeper batsman for New Zealand, but he was also a very shrewd tactician as well and his funky captaincy was one of the main reasons why New Zealand qualified for the final of the 2015 ODI World Cup.
However, McCullum could easily have played Rugby for New Zealand as well, if he had not chosen cricket. He was a very talented Rugby player when he was a teenager.
Suzie Bates
Suzie Bates is the former New Zealand captain who was the no. 1 batswoman in the world at one point. Bates is still an integral part of the New Zealand women’s cricket team and bats at no. 3.
However, apart from cricket, the other sport that Bates has played at the international level is Basketball. Bates represented New Zealand in the summer Olympics of 2008.
