5 cricketers who started as bowlers but became successful batsmen

4. Shoaib Malik

The 37-year-old Pakistani cricketer recently hung up his boots in ODIs after a disastrous World Cup campaign. Throughout the 20 years of his career, Malik had made a name for himself as a reliable middle-order batsman. However, at the age of 17 years, he made his International debut against the West Indies as an off-spinner.

He had a bowling action similar to Saqlain Mushtaq and could even bowl the ‘doosra’. His bowling action came under suspicion during 2004 (which was cleared a few months later), however, the team persisted with him because of his batting talent.

He made a Test hundred against New Zealand as an opener. The peculiar thing about Malik is his mind-boggling flexibility. He has done well as an opener, No. 3 batsman, middle-order batsman and even as a finisher. He has scored 7534 runs in 287 ODIs at an average of 34.56 and has scalped 158 wickets. Malik was recognised as a better batsman than a bowler as his career progressed; so much so that he was not even considered as a proper bowling option in the later stages of his career.