The 2019 World Cup final winning England team had as many as four players who were born in countries other than England. Several players in the history of the game have played for a country different from where they were born. A few have played for two countries as well!
It is not a new template about players migrating from one land to another. There are plenty of reasons for cricketers to try their trade-in another nation. Lucrative deals such as Kolpak, lack of opportunities in their own country, family movements in early life, and some for love as well have drifted to another territory. But there is a group of cricketers who played under-19 cricket for their birth country and senior-level cricket for another.
Here we look at 5 cricketers who played U19 and intl cricket for different teams
1. Imran Tahir
Craig Kieswetter (Photo by Bob Thomas/Popperfoto via Getty Images/Getty Images)
One of many South-African origin players to represent England at international level; Craig Kieswetter was an attacking wicketkeeper-batsman. Born in Jo’burg, Kieswetter played the 2006 Under-19 World Cup for the Proteas. Kieswetter amassed 123 runs in 5 innings at an average of 30.
Kieswetter moved to England in search of opportunities at the age of 18 and four years later made his international debut as an opener. He scored his maiden ton in his third ODI innings against Bangladesh. He was the chief architect in England’s T20I World Cup triumph in 2010. He accumulated 222 runs at an average of 31.71 with a strike rate of 117.
Kieswetter suffered an unfortunate eye injury as a short ball struck him while playing county for Somerset in 2014. He could never completely recover from that physically and mentally and therefore a year later he announced retirement from cricket.
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