8 cricketers who came from different countries than their current national team

World cricket has undergone drastic changes over the years. The game that celebrates the beautiful blend of skill and talent has always shown an attractive eye for cricketers who have taken the world by surprise. Brimming with joy and happiness, fans trickle into the stands as their favourite teams lock horns against each other on the cricketing turf. It is not a surprise that a lot of players have gone on to represent different nations despite being born in another country. Boasting their family roots from a specific geographical territory, the cricketing administrative boards do not think twice to embrace these prodigies in their star-studded side. The likes of Andrew Strauss along with Kepler Wessels smartly made into this rare-list of players back in the days. On that note, this article emphasises on the professional cricketers who broke into the national team owing to their sheer wits and cricketing brains. Interestingly, all the heavyweights mentioned below are match-winners for their respective countries. Let us peek into the names: 1. Imran Tahir Imran Tahir. (Photo Source: Twitter) Born in Lahore in 1979, Imran Tahir had greatness written all over his skilful wrist. Taking the world by surprise, the spin-king bowled brilliantly given a chance to perform on the 22 yards. Eventually, he even went on to represent the Pakistan U19 team and was also a part of the Pakistan A side on some tours. However, he failed to make the transition to the next stage. As things unfolded, Tahir had a persistent rough patch in his illustrious life. Pakistan was blessed with some quality spinners and Tahir never really made his mark at the senior level to warrant a selection. The former No.1 bowler in T20I and ODI took long strides as his fortune had a different tale altogether. Debuting for South Africa in 2011, he has plucked 57 wickets in 20 Test matches since then. Bagging 173 and 63 wickets in 107 ODI and 38 T20Is respectively, Tahir broke into the limelight and became a mainstay in the Proteas in both ODIs and T20s respectively. Hence, the leg-spinner continues to represent the South African team with sheer pride and respect. Therefore, the wily spinner has etched various milestones as he roars down with a classic trademark celebration. 2. Jofra Archer Jofra Archer. (Photo by Gareth Copley/Getty Images for ECB) The Caribbean heartthrob rose up the cricketing ladder for his tremendous performance earlier in his career. It is rightly said that Jofra Archer cannot be ignored on the cricketing turf. Whether with the ball, bat or field, his athleticism helped his team change the course of the match within a wink of the eyes. Hence, he went on to play for the West-Indies Under-19 team. However, the brute pacer sustained a back injury which changed the fortunes of the budding talent. As it turned out, the 25-year-old decided to ply his trade for England cricket team thanks to his family roots in Royal London. The three-lions were desperate to rope the driven persona into the national team. Statistics speak volumes about his prowess, the right-arm speedster has scalped 38 wickets in meagre 11 Test matches. Talking about his limited-overs performance, Jofra has bagged 30 wickets in 17 ODIs whereas 5 wickets in 4 T20Is. Without a shade of doubt, the shining light of the England team has a bright future up ahead. In the coming years, it will be exciting for the England fans to witness the exploitation of the opposition batting line-up as Jofra takes the long strides. 3. Marnus Labuschange Marnus Labuschagne. (Photo by Lee Warren/Gallo Images/Getty Images) The South African-born cricketer weaves a different tale altogether. Coming from the humble roots in Klerksdorp (SA), Marnus Labuschagne moved to Australia with his father in 2004 when he was 10. His father had secured a job in the mining business. The 26-year-old has walked down the extra-mile to etch the glory to play for the mighty Australian cricket team. Lauded by experts and fans as the man of the next decade, Marnus worked hard to polish his cricketing canvas over the years. The Queensland-based batsman had strong credentials in the ODIs having scored 271 runs at an average of 45 in the 2016-17 domestic One-Day tournament. He was declared Player of the Tournament for his batting brilliance. The calm-mind smelled the success when he donned the baggy green against Pakistan at Dubai International Stadium in 2018. The right-hander boasts fabulous consistency with the willow. Marnus has mustered 1459 runs in 14 Test matches whereas 394 runs in 10 ODIs. With the ball, the batting all-rounder has tweaked 12 wickets in the red-ball format of the game. Ahead of the heated India tour of Australia, fans and experts have their eyes set on Marnus Labuschange. He is expected to be the star of the series. 4. Ben Stokes Ben Stokes. (Photo Source: Getty Images) Born on 4 June 1991 in Christchurch, New Zealand, Benjamin Andrew Stokes is the son of rugby league player. His father Gerald Stokes represented New Zealand in international Rugby Leagues. Later, he shifted to England to continue exploring new horizons in the cricketing world. Subsequently, Stokes’s consistent performances catapulted him into national reckoning. The England cricket board was quick to notice his talent after his swashbuckling rendition both with the bat and ball in 2010 Under-19 World Cup. Looking at hindsight, the decision has reaped profound results over the years. The aggressive southpaw has racked 4400-odd runs in the Test cricket in 67 matches. Talking about the limited overs-format, Ben Stokes has garnered 2682 and 305 runs in the ODIs and T20Is respectively. The prolific match-winner is expected to lit up the scoring charts in the upcoming years. He is currently gearing up to lock horns against the mighty Africans later this month. 5. Imad Wasim Imad Wasim. (Photo Source: Twitter) Born in Swansea (England) with roots in Pakistan rose up the ranks with his sheer merit. The 31-year old spin-king has groomed himself over the years. Having represented Pakistan at almost every junior level, Imad had to grind through the domestic system of Pakistan cricket to make it to the international level. The wily southpaw flaunts various accolades in his cricketing career. Debuting against Sri Lanka in 2015 in ODIs, Imad has proved his mettle at the international level. Out of the 55 ODI appearances for the Men in Green, he has plucked 44 crucial breakthroughs. Talking about the shortest format, he has grabbed 47 wickets in 48 matches. Recently, the tweaker led his team Karachi Kings to the podium in the Pakistan Super League. Hence, it will be exciting to see Imad take on different powerful cricketers stretching across the oceans. 6. Eoin Morgan Eoin Morgan of England. (Photo by Stu Forster/Getty Images for ECB) The Ireland-born cricketing dynamo has shown glimpses of brilliance on countless occasions. Tracing back Eoin Morgan‘s early career, he was a key player in the Irish youth teams at the Under-17 and Under-19 level. Morgan was selected for the Under-19 World Cup. He emerged as the top-scorer for his team. Two years later, he was chosen as the captain of the Under-19 side. He finished as the second-highest run-getter of the tournament. The southpaw earned his recognition in England when he represented the Lions in a tour match against South Africa. Since then, there was no looking back for him. Upping his ante, Eoin Morgan led England from the front in the World Cup 2019. On the back of his brilliant captaincy, England won the World Cup for the first time in the history of the game. The middle-order batsman has amassed 7598 runs in 241 matches at a strike rate of 138.87 in the ODIs. While he has 2240 runs under his belt in 94 T20Is, Morgan has had a short stint of 11 matches in the red-ball cricket. 7. Chris Jordan Chris Jordan. (Photo by Gareth Copley/Getty Images,) Born in Barbados, the cricketing prodigy Chris Jordan moved to England on the back of a sporting scholarship to Dulwich College. He burst on the county circuit as 18-year old in 2007. The rookie picked up 20 wickets in five county championship games for Surrey. Future filled with surprises; Jordan donned the England jersey against Aussies in 2013 in the ODI match. The medium-pacer has picked top wickets multiple times with pacy deliveries. Out of the 34 ODIs, he has picked 45 wickets. The short format specialist has taken 63 wickets in 52 matches for the mighty England camp. Hence, the 32-year-old will look forward to performing to the best of his abilities in the coming days. Fans will be thrilled to watch Jordan back in the action after months of suspension of cricketing affairs. 8. Jason Roy Jason Roy. (Photo Source: GLYN KIRK/AFP/Getty Images) The England team is rightly called as the Rest of the world because of its inclusive nature in the national side. Adding another member along with the likes of Chris Jordan, Jofra Archer and Eoin Morgan is Jason Roy. The opening batsman took his first breath in Durban, South Africa. However, he went on to play for the powerful England camp on the back of excellent statistics favouring his inclusion in the national side. The 30-year-old made his ODI debut against the underdog Ireland in 2015. Taking a glance at his career, Roy has mustered 3483 runs in 92 ODIs at an astounding strike rate of 106. In 36 T20 Internationals, he has garnered 866 runs. It goes without saying that the team benefits a lot from his fire-from-the-first-ball approach in the limited-overs format. If he continues to perform consistently, Jason Roy will etch his name in the best opening batsman in the history of England cricket.

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8 cricketers who came from different countries than their current national team

These players born in one country and ended up shining for other.

5. Imad Wasim

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