Published: May 07, 2015, 06:30 AM (IST)
Edited: May 07, 2015, 12:27 PM (IST)
While most of us find it difficult to make it to a competitive level, some have represented their countries at multiple sports. Abhishek Mukherjee lists eleven cricket internationals who have played at least one other sport at the highest level.
We, the lesser mortals, find it difficult to make it to any significant level in sport. Some of us consider playing one sport at school or club level an achievement. There are some prodigies, however, who have played multiple sports at the highest level. In fact, the count is so high that one may even get a small-scale World Cup underway with these cricketers.
What to do, then? How to make an XI? Let us put a few restrictions. The people in the XI would need to have represented one country (or more) in another sport. This means that despite his Arsenal exploits, Denis Compton would miss out — as would Chuni Goswami, for though he captained India in football and captained Bengal in a Ranji Trophy final, he never played a Test.
There are some other misses. CB Fry held the joint world record in long-jump, but he was not representing England at that time. Kepler Wessels (and his son Riki) won gold medals at all-South Africa archery tournaments, but they have not represented their countries. Graham Gooch’s famous hole-in-one does not count either.
This still leaves us with more cricketers than we need. Let us, then, select one player per non-cricket sport. But, then, who do we choose? Rudi van Vuuren has played World Cups cricket and rugby, but we would choose a better cricketer in his case (alas, Victor Trumper played rugby only for South Sydney).
Note: There is a much-believed urban legend that Viv Richards had played FIFA World Cup qualifiers for Antigua & Barbuda. Unfortunately, there is no document or squad confirming the same, so we have to go with a lesser team.
1. Dipak Chudasama (table-tennis)
Dipak Chudasama faced the first ball for Kenya in international cricket. Along with Kennedy Otieno, he added 225 for the opening stand in 1997-98, which was a One-Day International (ODI) world record at one time.
Nicknamed “Doc” (he is also a qualified orthodontist), Chudasama represented Kenya in table-tennis. He played in Afro-Asian-Latin-American Games in Seoul (1980) and Commonwealth Championships in Bombay (1982).
2. WG Grace (bowls) — captain
Even if WG Grace had not done anything else in his life, he would still have finished as the most influential Englishman of the era, more so because of the imposing bulk and unmistakable beard. However, this is not the place to chronicle his cricket achievements.
Grace represented England in the relatively obscure sport of bowls, which was one of the six sports in the inaugural Commonwealth Games (the other five being athletics, aquatics, boxing, rowing, and wrestling).
Of course, if Grace makes it to a team, no one else gets to lead.
3. Cota Ramaswami (tennis)
Three international cricketers have also played Davis Cup, of whom Cota (or Cotar, or Cotah) Ramaswami is easily the best. Ramaswami partnered Dr Hassan-Ali Fyzee to beat Romania and Spain in Davis Cup 1922. 14 years later Ramaswami played two Tests, both on English soil, scoring 170 runs at 56.67. Sigh.
4. Rachel Heyhoe-Flint (hockey) — vice-captain
If The Doctor can be referred to The Father of Cricket, it will not be an exaggeration to call Heyhoe-Flint The Mother of Women’s Cricket. She hit the first six in women’s international cricket. She had incredible numbers (46 with the bat in Women’s Tests, 68 in Women’s ODIs). She was also instrumental in arranging the inaugural Women’s World Cup two years before the male counterpart.
Heyhoe-Flint was largely responsible for shaping women’s cricket, and can be credited with whatever respect they have earned over years. Oh, she was also England’s goalkeeper for their hockey team in 1964.
5. Vic Richardson (baseball)
Vic Richardson won the prestigious Magarey Medal in Australian Rules Football, won the South Australian tennis title, represented South Australia in golf, and represented his district in lacrosse; he was also outstanding at basketball and swimming, and the grandfather of the Chappell brothers.
Easily the finest fielders of the era (The Sydney Morning Herald once ran the headline IS RICHARDSON HUMAN?), Richardson led Australia on the 1936-37 tour of South Africa. Jack Fingleton considered him a greater captain than Don Bradman, but that is another story.
6. Betty Snowball (squash and lacrosse) — wicket-keeper
Betty Snowball averaged 40.86 with the bat in the 1930s and 1940s and effected 21 dismissals. Coached by Learie Constantine, she was perhaps a bit ahead of her times in terms of sheer aggression. There was a touch of sophistication as well: her neat and deft glovework was often compared to that of Bert Oldfield, no less.
The Myrtle Maclagan-Betty Snowball even drew comparisons with Clarrie Grimmett-Bert Oldfield, but in addition, Maclagan and Snowball opened batting (though she will bat lower down the order here). Snowball also represented Scotland in both squash and lacrosse.
7. Suzie Bates (basketball)
Though her cavalier attitude often leads to dismissal, Bates is one of the most attractive names in contemporary cricket. She has smashed six hundreds in Women’s ODIs, the most spectacular of which was certainly the 105-ball 168 against Pakistan Women in Women’s World Cup 2009.
When she was made New Zealand captain in 2011, it also meant that her commitment towards basketball reduced. It was a major decision, for she had, after all, represented New Zealand at the Beijing Olympics in 2008.
8. Andrew Stoddart (rugby)
There have been several international cricketers who have played rugby (including Chris Cairns, who had played at Under-17 level). However, it eventually comes down to Stoddart and “Monkey” Hornby, of whom we will go with the former — mostly because the side needs a bowler more than a batsman.
Stoddart led England at cricket (he was the first to declare a Test innings). He also led them at rugby (Hornby is the only other one to lead his side at cricket and hockey), and was perhaps equally proficient in both sports. He also played other sports. For example, he stayed up a night playing poker, scored a 370-minute 485 for Hampstead against Stoics, and spent the rest of the day playing tennis and dancing.
9. Johnny Douglas (boxing)
Yet another all-rounder who led England, Douglas was described as “the fittest cricketer of his day” by Wisden. A fitness fanatic given the era, Douglas represented England at middleweight boxing in Olympics 1908. He beat Reginald Baker in the final in what the Olympics 1908 Official Report called the “best boxing of the day”. Yes, Douglas won an Olympic gold.
10. Ken Hough (football)
Just like rugby, football spoils us with choices. However, since we need a bowler, we will go with the all-rounder (not another!). In football, Ken Hough represented Australia four times in 1948 and New Zealand five more times in 1958.
Hough played only two Tests, but his medium-fast bowling fetched him 119 First-Class wickets at 20.87. What is more, his three innings read 31*, 7, and 24* — which means that our No. 10 has a Test batting average of 62!
11. Ashantha de Mel (bridge)
Everton Weekes had apparently played bridge for Barbados, but no specifications can be found. Commonwealth Games 2002 at Manchester, however, saw de Mel represent Sri Lanka in bridge alongside YR Karunartne, Fritz Penera, and Anton Selvananyagam.
De Mel’s out-swing was prodigious, and he claimed two five-wicket hauls in World Cup 1983, but his finest performance was his 5 for 64 against India at SSC in 1984-85. He will definitely spearhead the attack.
12th man: Phil Horne (badminton)
Phil Horne’s international cricket career — one that spanned four Tests and four ODIs — was not much to speak of. Before he played his final Test, however, he represented New Zealand in badminton in the 1990 Commonwealth Games.
(Abhishek Mukherjee is the Chief Editor and Cricket Historian at CricketCountry. He blogs here and can be followed on Twitter here.)
