5 Players who started their career as batsman but became bowlers
These players were brilliant with the bat in the early part of their respective careers.
James Franklin
For more than a decade, James Franklin played a crucial role in the balance of the New Zealand side, especially in white-ball cricket. The left-hander was an effective customer with the ball and could give it a tonk with the bat.
Franklin played 179 international games for New Zealand. Test cricket was the most productive format for the left-arm pacer with the ball. In fact, he is one of the only two New Zealanders to take a Test hat-trick. The all-rounder last played international cricket in 2013.
He started out his career as a batsman. However, Franklin slowly turned to the ball and by the time he made his international debut, he became a handy lower-order batsman. But he made the transition back to the middle order and became an enforcer in limited-overs cricket.
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