There are numerous scenic venues in world cricket, but if you had to choose the most beautiful cricket stadium from each country, what would they be?
Novelist Margaret Wolfe Hungerford penned the famous idiom “Beauty is in the eye of the beholder.”
Everyone has their own definition of beauty. How would you define the most beautiful stadium in cricket? Would you choose the one with scenic backgrounds, largest capacity, the environment & fans, or history?
We choose the #1 international stadium from each country and state why we chose it. We will also list the stadiums that narrowly missed out.
And if you were wondering about the largest cricket stadiums in each country, which country has the most stadiums, the oldest venues to have hosted Test cricket, and the list of international stadiums in each country, we got you covered as well.
Earlier this year, the picturesque Gwadar Stadium in Balochistan (Pakistan) was inaugurated and immediately social media went viral. Playing cricket with white clays of Koh-e-Mehdi Hills in the background is just breathtaking.
At about the same time, England toured Sri Lanka for a Test series. The aerial view surrounding the stadium was magnificent.
This got us thinking—Choose the most beautiful stadium from each country but the catch is—the stadium has to have hosted at least one international match in any format. Without further ado, here is our list.
Lots of images head! Make sure to swipe right under each section to get a glimpse of all the stadiums in our shortlist.
*Note: Afghanistan is not considered since it plays its home matches in India. Also, the UAE is considered since international cricket is played there frequently.
List of Most Beautiful Cricket Grounds in the World
1. Melbourne Cricket Groud (MCG), Australia
Location: Jolimont, Melbourne (Victoria), Australia
Capacity: 100,000, Year Established: 1853
Home Teams: Australia, Victoria, Melbourne Stars
Why Is it the Most Beautiful Stadium in Australia? The second largest stadium by capacity now, the MCG has everything. The ideal place for an Ashes Test, a World Cup Final, or a Women’s T20 World Cup Final, the atmosphere at the MCG is electric. Each clap is heard, the Barmy Army is never too far away, and even the batters have to utilize the 90 meter boundaries by running the twos and threes.
Australia’s Top 3
Melbourne Cricket Ground
Sydney Cricket Ground (SCG), New South Wales – The iconic green roof & Sydney’s skyline with the Sydney Opera house in the background seals the deal for me.
The Bradman Oval*, Bowral, New South Wales – Home of Sir Donald Bradman, the ground captures the imagination of any cricket fan. With the Bradman Museum and white fence in the background, what’s not to like? And yes, Bradman’s ashes were sprinkled on the ground as well to add to the history.
*Note, Bradman Oval has hosted a women’s Test (Australia Vs England) along with a few other women’s ODIs. Check out MCG, SCG, and Bradman Oval’s picturesque images below.
Pictured Below (In this order): (1) MCG, (2) SCG, (3) Sydney, (4) Bradman Oval, (5) Sir Donald Bradman
2. Sylhet International Cricket Stadium, Bangladesh
Location: Sylhet, Bangladesh
Capacity: 13,533, Year Established: 2007
Home Teams: Sylhet Division Cricket Team, Sylhet Sixers, Bangladesh
Why Is it the Most Beautiful in Bangladesh: Lush forests in the background to go along with the contrasting red roof—lovely scenery.
Bangladesh’s Top 3:
Sylhet International Cricket Stadium
Sher-e-Bangla Stadium (Mirpur), Dhaka
Sheikh Abu Naser Stadium, Khulna
Pictured Below: Sylhet
3. Lord’s Cricket Ground, England
Location: London, England
Capacity: 30,000, Year Established: 1814
Home Teams: Marylebone Cricket Club (MCC), Middlesex, England
Why Is it the Most Beautiful in England: Home of cricket, the iconic Lord’s pavilion, the balcony, the honors board, J.P. Morgan Media Centre, and the long room. Historic. Aesthetic.
England’s Top 3:
Lord’s
Old Trafford (Manchester) – The shining red pavilion gives Old Trafford its unique look.
Riverside Ground (Chester-le-Street, Durham): Nothing better than a castle in the background.
Consolation: The Oval (Kennington, London) New Road (Worcester), County Ground (Taunton)
Pictured Below (In this order): (1) Lord’s stadium, (2) Lord’s balcony, (3) The Long Room, (4) Old Trafford, (5) Riverside Ground
4. Himachal Pradesh Cricket Association Stadium, India
Location: Dharamsala, India
Capacity: 23,000, Year Established: 2003
Home Teams: Himachal Pradesh Cricket Team, Kings XI Punjab, India
Why Is it the Most Beautiful in India: Backdrop of the snow-capped Himalayan range, it is a wonderful attraction all around. Home to the Dalai Lama, it also has a spiritual overtone to it.
India’s Top 3:
Dharamsala
Eden Gardens (Kolkata) – One of the most animated sporting crowds in the world. The place of the 2001 Test against Australia feat VVS Laxman’s magical 281 and Brathwaite’s carnage in the 2016 T20 World Cup final. Also the venue of the infamous 1996 World Cup semi-final, where the match was abandoned due to the enraged spectators.
Wankhede Stadium (Mumbai) – Another one due to the atmosphere. After India’s 2011 World Cup victory, it was an ideal place to party.Just listen to this when Dhoni finished it off in style.
Consolation: Narendra Modi Stadium (Ahmedabad), Rajiv Gandhi International Cricket Stadium – Dehradun (host for Afghanistan team)
Pictured Below (In this order): (1) Dharamsala, (2) Dehradun, (3) Wankhede, (4) Eden Gardens, (5) Ahmedabad
5. Malahide Cricket Club Ground (The Village), Ireland
Location: Malahide, Ireland
Capacity: 11,500, Year Established: 1861
Home Teams: Ireland Cricket Team
Why Is it the Most Beautiful in Ireland: Hosted Ireland’s only Test at home (along with a few ODIs, and women’s fixtures). The venue gives away a calm aura with trees right behind the sight-screen.
Why Is it the Most Beautiful in New Zealand: New Zealand is the ideal place to watch cricket. You can choose any stadium here, and it will be scenic. Add to that the grass banks and the casual, party-mood culture, and you have a perfect atmosphere for cricket. Mount Maunganui’s aerial view makes it my #1 in New Zealand—The hill, beaches, and a sandbar connecting the mainland to the island.
New Zealand’s Top 3:
Bay Oval
Queenstown Events Centre (Queenstown, Otago) – Queenstown is a resort town, known for its tourism. And why not? The mountain range overseeing the cricket ground is literally called The Remarkables. Lake Wakatipu nearby as well.
Basin Reserve (Wellington)
Consolation: Pukekura Park (New Plymouth, Taranaki), Eden Park (Auckland), Saxton Oval (Nelson), University Oval (Dunedin)
Pictured Below (In this Order): (1) Bay Oval, (2) Mount Maunganui, (3) Tauranga Aerial View, (4) Queenstown, (5) The Basin Reserve
Home Teams: Northern Cricket Team, Islamabad United, Pakistan
Why Is it the Most Beautiful in Pakistan: An aerial view of ‘Pindi’, as it is usually known, will give you a glimpse of the mountain resort town of Murree along with historic neighborhoods and mosques.
Pakistan’s Top 3
Rawalpindi
Bugti Stadium (Quetta)
Gaddafi Stadium (Lahore)
*Bugti Stadium hosted an ODI between Pakistan and Zimbabwe in 1996.
Now here is where we diverge a little bit. Apart from Gwadar stadium (at the top of the article), we have also included a couple of pictures of stadiums that have not hosted an international fixture but are just too good to ignore—namely Muzaffarabad Cricket Stadium and Chitral Cricket Ground.
Pictured Below (In this Order): (1) Muzaffarabad, (2) Quetta, (3) Rawalpindi, (4) Chitral, (5) Lahore
8. Galle International Stadium, Sri Lanka
Location: Galle, Sri Lanka
Capacity: 35,000, Year Established: 1876
Home Teams: Galle Cricket Club, Sri Lanka
Why Is it the Most Beautiful in Sri Lanka: Galle’s harbor, Indian Ocean, and the Galle Fort to watch cricket from. The England-Sri Lanka series was basically just 3 parts: Joe Root, Lasith Embuldeniya, and multiple aerial views of Galle.
Top 3 in England:
Galle
Dambulla
Kandy
Consolation: Welagedara Stadium (Kurunegala)
*Welagedara Stadium has hosted a couple of women ODIs
Pictured Below (In this Order): (1) Galle by the ocean, (2) Dambulla, (3) Kandy, (4) Kurunegala, (5) spectators from Galle’s hill/fort, (6) English super fan Rob Lewis from Galle stadium who had stayed in Sri Lanka for 10 months after the England-Sri Lanka tour was delayed due to COVID.
Home Teams: Western Province, Cape Town Blitz, South Africa
Why Is it the Most Beautiful in South Africa:
South Africa’s Top 3:
Newlands
Boland Park (Paarl)
New Wanderers Stadium (Johannesburg) – AB De Villiers. Pink ODI. 149 (44). The atmosphere. Enough said.
*Also pictured – Ellis Park – hosted Tests between 1948 and 1954, but now only used mainly for Rugby and soccer (2010 FIFA World Cup). Red roof and about 65,000 capacity, it is a South African special.
Pictured Below (In this Order): (1) Newlands, (2) Boland Park, (3) Paarl landscape, (4) Wanderers, (5) Ellis Park
10. Daren Sammy National Cricket Stadium, West Indies
Location: Gros Islet, St. Lucia
Capacity: 12,400, Year Established: 2002
Home Teams: Windward Islands, St. Lucia Zouks
Why Is it the Most Beautiful in West Indies: Most places in the Caribbean are amazing by default—beaches, hills, and the weather.St. Lucia’s ambience and the effervescent Daren Sammy cheering at almost every game just edges out Arnos Vale and Queen’s Park.
West Indies’ Top 3:
Daren Sammy (formerly Beausejour Cricket Ground)
Arnos Vale Stadium (St. Vincent)
Queen’s Park Oval (Port of Spain, Trinidad and Tobago)
Windsor Park (Dominica)
Pictured Below: Windsor Park
11. Sheikh Zayed Stadium, U.A.E.
Location: Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates (U.A.E.)
Capacity: 20,000, Year Established: 2004
Home Teams: UAE, Afghanistan, Pakistan, PSL/IPL Teams
Why Is it the Most Beautiful in UAE : The roof and the lighting are spectacular in day-night matches.
UAE’s Top 3:
Sheikh Zayed Stadium (Abu Dhabi)
DubaiInternational Stadium (Dubai)
SharjahCricket Ground (Sharjah)
Pictured Below (In this Order): (1) Abu Dhabi, (2) Dubai, (3) Sachin Tendulkar & Shane Warne after ‘Desert Storm’ in Sharjah
13. Al-Amerat Cricket Stadium (Oman Cricket Academy Ground), Oman
Location: Muscat, Oman
Capacity: 3,000, Year Established: 1900
Home Teams: Oman
Why Is it the Most Beautiful in Zimbabwe: The Al-Hajar mountains overseeing the stadium are absolutely majestic. The 2021 T20 World Cup brought the beauty of this small cricketing nation to the rest of the world.
Do you have other suggestions for the most beautiful cricket stadiums? THEN COMMENT BELOW AND LET US KNOW!
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Which country has the best cricket stadiums in the world?
New Zealand probably has the best cricket stadiums. Seven of their international stadiums can vouch to be in the most beautiful category. Bay Oval (Mount Maunganui), Queenstown, Basin Reserve (Wellington), Pukekura Park (New Plymouth), Eden Park (Auckland). Saxton Oval (Nelson), and University Oval (Dunedin). Sri Lanka and West Indies are not too far behind in terms of scenic views. Australia (MCG/SCG) and India (Eden Gardens/ Wankhede) have the most grand and fan-fueled stadiums, while England have the most historic and mellow cricket grounds.
Which is the World’s Largest Cricket Stadium by country?
1. Narendra Modi Stadium (132,000) – Ahmedabad, India 2. Melbourne Cricket Ground (100,000) – Melbourne, Australia 3. Eden Park (41,000) – Auckland, New Zealand 4. R. Premadasa Stadium (35,000) – Colombo, Sri Lanka 5. National Stadium (34,000) – Karachi, Pakistan 6. Lord’s (30,000) – London, England 7. Wanderers Stadium (28,000) – Johannesburg, South Africa 8. Kensington Oval (28,000) – Barbados, Bridgetown 9. Sher-e-Bangla Cricket Stadium (25,000) – Dhaka, Bangladesh 10. Tribhuvan University International Cricket Ground (20,000) – Kirtipur, Nepal 11. Central Broward Park (20,000) – Ft. Lauderhill, United States 12. Sheikh Zayed Cricket Stadium (20,000) – Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates 13. Sophia Gardens (15,000) – Cardiff, Wales (U.K.) 14. Guanggong International Cricket Stadium (12,000) – Guangzhou, China 15. Malahide Cricket Club Ground (11,500) – Dublin, Ireland 16. Harare Sports Club (10,000) – Harare, Zimbabwe 17. Gymkhana Club Ground (7,000) – Nairobi, Kenya 18. Maple Leaf Cricket Club (7,000) – King City, Canada 19. The Grange Club (5,000) – Edinburgh, Scotland
Which cricket ground has the highest capacity?
Here are the top 10 largest cricket stadiums by size:
1. Narendra Modi Stadium (132,000) – Ahmedabad, India 2. Melbourne Cricket Ground (100,000) – Melbourne, Australia 3. Eden Gardens (80,000) – Kolkata, India 4. Shaheed Veer Narayan Singh International Cricket Stadium (65,000) – Raipur, India 5. Perth Optus Stadium (60,000) – Perth, Australia 6. Rajiv Gandhi International Cricket Stadium (55,000) – Hyderabad, India 7. Greenfield International Stadium (55,000) – Thiruvananthapuram, India 8. Adelaide Oval (54,000) – Adelaide, Australia 9. M.A. Chidambaram Stadium, JSCA International Cricket Stadium, Bharat Ratna Shri Atal Bihari 10. Vajpayee Ekana Cricket Stadium (50,000) – Chennai/Ranchi/Lucknow, India 11. Docklands Stadium, Sydney Cricket Ground (48,000) – Melbourne/Sydney, Australia
Which country has the most stadiums?
Here are the number of international cricket stadiums by Test playing country:
India (53) Australia (22) England (21) Pakistan (18) South Africa, West Indies (16) New Zealand (14) Sri Lanka (10) Bangladesh (8) United Arab Emirates (6) Zimbabwe (5) *Note, we only consider countries with Test status
Which Is the Oldest Cricket Stadium in the World?
We will organize this when their first Test match was hosted.
1. Melbourne Cricket Ground – Melbourne, Australia (15 March 1877) 2. The Oval – London, England (6 September 1880) 3. Sydney Cricket Ground – Sydney, Australia (17 February 1882) 4. Old Trafford – Manchester, England (10 July 1884) 5. Lord’s – London, England (21 July 1884) 6. Adelaide Oval – Adelaide, Australia (12 December 1884) 7. St. George’s Park – Port Elizabeth, South Africa (12 March 1889) 8. Newland’s – Cape Town, South Africa (25 March 1889) 9. Old Wanderers – Johannesburg, South Africa (2 March 1896) 10. Trent Bridge – Nottingham, England (1 June 1899)
England, Australia, and South Africa lead the oldest stadiums to host Test cricket, between 1877 and 1899. New Zealand and West Indies would host their first Tests in 1930 with India following suit in 1933. Post-Partition of British India, Bangladesh & Pakistan hosted their fist Tests in 1955. Sri Lanka (1982), Zimbabwe (1992), UAE (2002), and Ireland (2018) would host much later.
Which country has the most beautiful cricket stadiums?
Here are the most beautiful cricket stadiums from each of the Test playing nations.
1. Australia (Melbourne Cricket Ground) 2. Bangladesh (Sylhet International Cricket Stadium) 3. England (Lord’s Cricket Ground) 4. India (Himachal Pradesh Cricket Association Stadium) 5. Ireland (Malahide Cricket Club Ground) 6. New Zealand (Bay Oval, Mount Maunganui) 7. Pakistan (Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium) 8. Sri Lanka (Galle International Stadium) 9. South Africa (Newlands Cricket Ground) 10. West Indies (Daren Sammy National Cricket Stadium) 11. United Arab Emirates (Sheikh Zayed Stadium) 12. Zimbabwe (Harare Sports Club)
Image Courtesy: Getty Images, Sylhet – Facebook by Nahian Chowdhury, Dharamshala – by TheSereneRebel CC 4.0 via Wikimedia Commons, Galle – by Sergie Gussev via CC 2.0, Eden Gardens – JokerDurden, CC BY-SA 4.0 via Wikimedia Commons, Wankhede – Anand Desai, CC BY 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons, Bugti Stadium – Facebook, Chitral – Altamish Azhar, CC BY-SA 4.0 via Wikimedia Commons, Rawalpindi – Facebook @mehmoodyousafzaii, Gaddafi Stadium – Younisjunejo, CC BY-SA 4.0 , via Wikimedia Commons, Daren Sammy – Timothy Barton (timtranslates.com), CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons, Queens Park Oval – Dominic Sayers from London, England, CC BY 2.0 , via Wikimedia Commons, Arnos Vale – AFP PHOTO/Greg WOOD (Photo credit should read GREG WOOD/AFP/Getty Images), Windsor Park – SDGibbons, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons, Narendra Modi Stadium – Gujarat Cricket Association, Dehradun Cricket Stadium – Facebook
What do they all have in common? They are all candidates for the Most Underrated Cricketers. Can you create an XI of these so-called underrated players?
First we need to define what it means to be ‘underrated?’
Definition:These cricketers may not break into the Current World XI, but are great players in their own right. They usually flow under the radar and might not have the largest fan clubs.
To limit our search, here are the rules:
Minimum of 100 international matches across formats
Maximum of 1 player per country
Should be able to field a team – 5 bowlers and wicket keeper needed
Build an Underrated XI to go head to head against Current World XI.
Imagine an opposition XI consisting of David Warner, Mohammad Rizwan, Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli, Babar Azam, Kane Williamson, Steve Smith, Joe Root, Jos Buttler, Ben Stokes, Shakib Al Hasan, Ravindra Jadeja, Pat Cummins, Rashid Khan, Mitchell Starc, Shaheen Shah Afridi, Jasprit Bumrah, & Trent Boult in the opposition.
The Catch
Majority of the New Zealand team will walk in the ‘underrated’ XI if we do not keep a 1-player limit per country—Ross Taylor, Tom Latham, Neil Wagner, BJ Watling, Henry Nicholls. If you only had to choose one, which one would you go with?
Rahul Dravid, Cheteshwar Pujara, & Hashim Amla have a massive cult following. Understated cricketers for sure, but not necessarily underrated.
Why is he underrated: Although Ireland cricket does not receive much media coverage, 2020 showed why he is one of the bests in the town. 3 hundreds in just 5 matches with 105.00 average was the highlight of the COVID-hit cricket calendar. Continues his good form in the ongoing Ireland-Netherlands series.
Why is he underrated: Wonderful player for Pakistan cricket, but never really got the recognition he deserved, even from his own country. One of the standouts of the 2010s, especially overseas performances. 6579 of those runs came in Test matches. He has scored a triple century, hundreds in each innings, and carried a bat once.
Why is he underrated: Sandwiched between the generations of Graeme Smith-Jacques Kallis-Mark Boucher-Shaun Pollock and Hashim Amla-AB De Villiers-Dale Steyn, Faf’s career was delayed about seven years. Highly regarded as a captain, Faf may have never gotten his due as a batsman. High commodity in T20 leagues.
Why is he underrated: Will go down as the best #4 ODI batsman of all time, and has most New Zealand batting records to his name. Neither is he quite as outspoken as Brendon McCullum, and nor is he as popular as Kane Williamson. Not considered in the Fab 5 either. A mainstay in this Kiwi generation nevertheless.
Why is he underrated: One of the pillars of Bangladesh’s growth, Rahim has come into his own over the past 4-5 years. He has the best record for #4 since the 2015 WC after Ross Taylor. Only wicketkeeper to score 3 double centuries in Test cricket. Energetic behind the stumps and plays innovative shots. Why doesn’t he ever get an IPL contract?
Why is he underrated: In and out of the national side due to run-ins with the board, there was never any doubt on his talent. In the form of his life, average 132.00 in Tests this year with 2 centuries.
Why is he underrated: Speaking of run-ins with the board, Angelo Mathews. Debuted as Sri Lanka’s future in their golden generation, but has not quite lived up to the potential due to injuries, fitness issues, and problems with Sri Lanka Cricket Board. Does not bowl much anymore, but still has a stellar all-round record. Gritty batter.
Why is he underrated: With Jimmy Anderson & Stuart Broad in the England team for the majority of the decade and due to the emergence of Jofra Archer & Mark Wood, Chris Woakes has never really received a consistent run. He has delivered in his limited opportunities and his record in England (specifically Lord’s) is impeccable. One of the greatest underutilized all-round talent of all time. Oh yeah, and has the highest ODI score for a #8 batsman (95*).
Why is he underrated: Sharma has always been under the radar compared to his standout peers—Irfan Pathan, Zaheer Khan, Harbhajan Singh, Anil Kumble, Jasprit Bumrah, & Mohammad Shami. Yet, his consistent work ethic has been a boon for the Indian team. After a prodigious beginning with that Ponting spell, ‘unlucky’ middle stage, and Faulkner’s 2013 ODI assault, Sharma is finally reaping rewards in the final stage of his career. Now an elderly brother figure to the young fast bowlers.
Why is he underrated: What names come to your mind when once speaks of West Indian pacers? Walsh, Ambrose, Holding, Marshall, Garner, Roberts? Well, sadly these are all from the past era, but Roach is leading a revival of fast bowling in the Caribbean. Not quite as fast after injury, his consistency has lead him to the 8th highest Test wicket-taker for the West Indies.
Why is he underrated: The 2010s was the revival of leg-spinners & wristspinners—think Rashid Khan, Imran Tahir, Adil Rashid, Yuzvendra Chahal & Kuldeep Yadav, Ish Sodhi, and now, Lasith Embuldeniya. Adam Zampa will not be considered the best legspinner of the generation nor will he be in the top of the Australian list due to the presence Shane Warne & Stuart MacGill. Yet, he is a vital cog in the Aussie limited overs lineup.
Why is he underrated: While Mohammad Nabi & Rashid Khan are considered the beacon of Afghanistan talent, Asghar Afghan, the captain & batsman, is the heart of the Afghanistan team. Removed from captaincy once again, but has always been their leader. A clean six-hitter as well.
Here was my Current Underrated XI, but what about an All-Time XI? There are way too many players to choose from, but I am curious what you would choose? Send in your submissions in the Comment section below!
Here is my short list:
India – Ajit Agarkar, Dilip Vengsarkar, Roger Binny, Farookh Engineer, Suresh Raina, Chetan Chauhan
Sri Lanka – Thilan Samaraweera, Rangana Herath, Upul Tharanga
Pakistan – Moin Khan, Asad Shafiq, Umar Gul
New Zealand – Daniel Vettori, Chris Harris, Craig McMillan
South Africa – Barry Richards, Graeme Pollock, Clive Rice, Jacques Kallis, Morne Morkel
England – Alan Knott, Alec Stewart, Michael Atherton, Mike Brearley
West Indies – Shivnarine Chanderpaul, Alvin Kallicharran, Desmond Haynes
Australia – Damien Martyn, Jason Gillespie, Justin Langer
Zimbabwe – Flower Brothers
A Bit of Philosophy, Of Course
Not all players get their due that was due to them. To be honest, I am not a huge fan of this ‘underrated,’ ‘unlucky’, ‘overrated’, ‘Agree or Die’ jargon that goes around in Twitter.
Every sports player tries to give it their all. Not every player can scale the heights of a Sachin Tendulkar or have millions of fans & followers. However, as long as they fulfill their defined role & help their team win, they have done enough.
Why should we compare players anyway? Let us just enjoy watching them when we have time and try to learn from each and every one.
Here was my list of underrated cricketers. How about you? Let us know in the comment sections below. And if you like these ‘Create your Own’ World XIs, check these articles out below.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
Who is the most underrated international cricketer?
Ross Taylor, Faf du Plessis, and Mushfiqur Rahim are currently the most underrated international cricketer. Paul Stirling, Azhar Ali, Sean Williams, Angelo Mathews, Chris Woakes, Ishant Sharma, Kemar Roach, Adam Zampa, Asghar Afghan, Tom Latham, Neil Wagner, BJ Watling among others.
Who is the most underrated batter of all time?
Ross Taylor is the most underrated batter of all time. Desmond Haynes, Shivnairne Chanderpaul, Jacques Kallis among others.
Who is the most underrated bowler of all time?
Ajit Agarkar, Daniel Vettori, and Rangana Herath are the most underrated bowler of all time. Here is the rest of the list.
Image Courtesy: NAPARAZZI, CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons
Today we discuss Top 50 England Cricket Team players.
England’s rotation policy is well documented. Anderson and Broad have been preserved for more than a decade, while the Woods, Stones, Archers, and Currans rotate. Their bowling depth is quite vast.
After years of mediocre cricket, England’s rise post 2015 has been nothing short of marvelous. 2016 WT20 final, 2017 Champions Trophy semi-finals, winning it all in the 2019 World Cup, and the team to beat at the upcoming 2021 T20 World Cup. Their limited overs bench strength is quite something. In Tests, they have now won a record 6 in a row overseas.
Build FOUR England National Cricket Teams: 2 Test teams, an ODI, and a T20I XI so that (1) each team can field a team (wicketkeeper & 5 bowling options), and (2) a player is not repeated in any of the lists.
The Catch
Would you pick Ben Stokes for the Test team, ODI, or the T20I? How about Jofra Archer? Is Buttler more dangerous ODI middle-order batsman or a T20I opener?
Can you make all 4 teams balanced? The goal is that each team is just as good and competitive on the international stage. The ODI & T20I teams should be good enough for the World Cups and the Test teams for the World Test Championship.
England Cricket Team Players
*uncapped player
Test Team 1
1. Rory Burns
2. Dom Sibley
3. Zak Crawley
4. Joe Root (C)
5. Ollie Pope
6. Ben Foakes (WK)
7. Jofra Archer
8. Stuart Broad
9. Dom Bess
10. Jack Leach
11. James Anderson
Test Team 2
1. Haseeb Hameed
2. Keaton Jennings
3. Joe Denly
4. Dan Lawrence
5. Moeen Ali (C)
6. James Bracey* (WK)
7. Sam Curran
8. Craig Overton
9. Jake Ball
10. Mason Crane
11. Olly Stone
England Cricket Limited Overs Teams
ODI XI
1. Jason Roy
2. Jonny Bairstow (WK)
3. Eoin Morgan (C)
4. Ben Stokes
5. Jos Buttler (WK)
6. Sam Billings
7. Chris Woakes
8. David Willey
9. Adil Rashid
10. Mark Wood
11. Saqib Mahmood
T20I XI
1. Alex Hales
2. James Vince
3. Dawid Malan (C)
4. Tom Banton
5. Liam Livingstone
6. Ben Duckett (WK)
7. Lewis Gregory
8. Liam Dawson
9. Chris Jordan
10. Tom Curran
11. Reece Topley
*Notes:
I made sure Eoin Morgan and Alex Hales were in different teams (ouch).
David Willey narrowly missed out on that World Cup squad, but here, Archer plays for the Test team, while Willey makes the ODI XI. Best of both worlds.
Initially I had Sam Billings as a T20I finisher/captain, but had to fill a space in the ODIs (given Root was picked for the Test squad). Hence, Ben Duckett was added to the T20I XI.
Extended List of Prospects
These are just the 44 that are ready for the international level. Here is an extended list of players for the next decade. These players were either (1) selected for the 55-men ECB training squad when cricket returned from COVID, (2) have recently represented England Lions, or (3) were picked from the recent T10 League.
Youngsters to Watch Out (26 or Below): 48. Jamie Overton, 49. Tom Helm, 50. Tom Moores (WK), 51. George Garton, 52. Tom Abell, 53. Alex Davies (WK), 54. Phil Salt, 55. Pat Brown, 56. Henry Brookes, 57. Tom Kohler-Cardmore, 58. Will Jacks, 59. Sam Hain, 60. Brydon Carse
Ex-International Players Out of Favor(but still dominating T20 or County Circuits): 61. Luke Wright, 62. Liam Plunkett, 63. Samit Patel, 64. Adam Lyth, 65. Ravi Bopara, 66. Gary Ballance, 67. Steven Finn
Others:68. Ben Cox (WK), 69. Laurie Evans, 70. Richard Gleeson, 71. Sam Northeast, 72. Adam Hose, 73. Sam Wisniewski, 74. Daniel Bell-Drummond, 75. Joe Clarke*
*was named in Alex Hepburn rape trial and since been reprimanded. Doubt he will ever be selected for England
The Verdict
England’s ODI, T20I, and first string Test squad are stronger than India’s, but India’s second string Test squad AND depth of reserves is probably higher quality. I even had to pick Haseeb Hameed and Keaton Jennings for the second string Test opening (given that it has taken a decade for England to replace Strauss-Cook in their first string squad, it is no surprise I had trouble in this regard).
England has an abundance of pace bowlers, but the next generation of batsmen have not yet been groomed.
Now, a lot of India’s players (50-75) were the youngsters emerging from the recent U-19 World Cups and IPL 2020 (post-COVID). Since The Hundred was cancelled last year, the English public were robbed of watching exciting young talent. Who knows, after the 2021 edition of The Hundred, maybe England’s depth can overpower India.
What do you think of England cricket team players right now? What will your England XIs be?COMMENT BELOW!
If you like this, check out the rest of our World XIs with TwistsHere – Best Fielding XI, Best Commentators XI, and much more!
During that series, Australia announced a Test & T20I squad that would have been played at the same time (before Australia cancelled the South Africa tour of course).
These two events got me thinking—Can India field two Test XIs at the same time without overlapping players? How about an additional ODI & T20I team?
Today’s Twist
Build FOUR Indian National Cricket Teams Roster: 1 Test team, an ODI, and 2 T20I XIs so that (1) each team can field a team (wicketkeeper & 5 bowling options), and (2) a player is not repeated in any of the lists.
The Catch
Would you pick Virat Kohli for the Test team, ODI, or the T20I? Bumrah?
Can you make all 4 teams balanced? The goal is that each team is just as good and competitive on the international stage. The ODI & T20I teams should be good enough for the World Cups and the Test teams for the World Test Championship.
Before we start making the list, here are all the 106 cricketers in India currently who are vying for an Indian national spot!
Batters
Yashasvi Jaiswal
Shubman Gill
Rohit Sharma
Ruturaj Gaikwad
Virat Kohli
Suryakumar Yadav
Rinku Singh
Shreyas Iyer
Abhishek Sharma
Devdutt Padikkal
Sai Sudharshan
Sarfaraz Khan
Tilak Verma
Abhimanyu Easwaran
Wicket-Keepers
Sanju Samson
Rishabh Pant
Dhruv Jurel
KL Rahul
Ishan Kishan
Jitesh Sharma
Spin All-Rounders
Axar Patel
Ravindra Jadeja
Riyan Parag
Washington Sundar
Tanush Kotian
Krunal Pandya
Pace All-Rounders
Nitish Kumar Reddy
Hardik Pandy
Venkatesh Iyer
Ramandeep Singh
Vijay Shankar
Spinners
Kuldeep Yadav
Yuzvendra Chahal
Ravi Bishnoi
Rahul Chahar
Varun Chakravarthy
R Sai Kishore
Fast Bowlers
Jasprit Bumrah
Mohammad Shami
Arshdeep Singh
Mohammad Siraj
Mukesh Kumar
Deepak Chahar
Prasidh Krishna
Harshit Rana
Akash Deep
Avesh Khan
Mukesh Choudhary
Khaleel Ahmed
T Natarajan
Mohsin Khan
Kuldeep Sen
Umran Malik
Mayank Yadav
Navdeep Saini
Fringe Players
Hanuma Vihari
Rahul Tripathi
Rajat Patidar
Prithvi Shaw
Deepak Hooda
Mayank Agarwal
Rahul Tewatia
Karun Nair
KS Bharat (WK)
Nitish Rana
Shardul Thakur
Harshal Patel
Shahbaz Ahmed
Abhishek Porel (WK)
Anuj Rawat (WK)
Abdul Samad
Shahrukh Khan
Shashank Singh
Mayank Markande
Sandeep Sharma
Yash Dayal
Ashutosh Sharma
Kartik Tyagi
Future Stars
Ayush Badoni
Sameer Rizvi
Kamlesh Nagarkoti
Shivam Mavi
Angkrish Raghuvanshi
Nehal Wadhera
Vaibhav Arora
Musheer Khan
Rajvardhan Hangargekar
Raj Bawa
Yash Dhull
Vidwath Kaverappa
Vijaykumar Vyshak
Baba Indrajith
Narayan Jagadeesan (WK)
Anshul Kamboj
Past? (But have not retired yet)
Ajinkya Rahane
Cheteshwar Pujara
Jayant Yadav
Karn Sharma
Manish Pandey
Ishant Sharma
Bhuvneshwar Kumar
Mohit Sharma
Jaydev Unadkat
Shahbaz Nadeem
Four Possible XIs for Indian National Cricket Team
*Note: Since our original iteration in 2021, Rahane, Pujara, Ishant Sharma, R Ashwin, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, and Dinesh Karthik. have dropped out of these lists.
Test XI
Yashasvi Jaiswal
Abhimanyu Easwaran
Hanuma Vihari
Sarfaraz Khan
Rishabh Pant (WK)
Dhruv Jurel
Axar Patel
Nitish Kumar Reddy
Kuldeep Yadav
Jasprit Bumrah (C)
Akash Deep
ODI XI
Rohit Sharma (C)
Shubman Gill
Virat Kohli
Shreyas Iyer
KL Rahul (WK)
Hardik Pandya
Ravindra Jadeja
Mohammad Shami
Mohammad Siraj
Yuzvendra Chahal
Avesh Khan
Indian Cricket Limited Overs Teams:
T20 Team 1
Sanju Samson (WK)
Abhishek Sharma
Tilak Verma
Suryakumar Yadav (C)
Rinku Singh
Riyan Parag
Washington Sundar
Deepak Chahar
Prasidh Krishna
Ravi Bishnoi
Arshdeep Singh
T20I Team 2
Ruturaj Gaikwad (C)
Ishan Kishan (WK)
Devdutt Padikkal
Venkatesh Iyer
Ramandeep Singh
Jitesh Sharma
Krunal Pandya
Harshit Rana
Navdeep Saini
Rahul Chahar
Varun Chakravarthy
Players Who Have Retired Since the List Originally Came Out in 2021
Retired: R Ashwin, Dinesh Karthik, Dhawal Kulkarni, Siddharth Kaul, Murali Vijay, Ambati Rayudu, Amit Mishra
Out of Favor: Priyam Garg, Priyank Panchal, Mandeep Singh
Conclusion
Problem of plenty for Team India.
We have all criticized Indian cricket selectors at some point in time, but we can clearly see it is difficult to give every player an extended run. Gone are the days where we can find players who play 2 or 3 formats for more than a decade. Virat Kohli maybe the last of his breed in India.
Next week, we will do a similar exercise with the England cricket team. Their limited overs depth is quite something, and they are a rising force in Test cricket as well.
What will your Indian XIs be? What do you think of Indian cricket right now? COMMENT BELOW! Would love to know your thoughts!
If you like this, check out the rest of our World XIs with TwistsHere – Best Fielding XI, Best Commentators XI, and much more!
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) – Indian Cricket Team Squad Depth
How many Indian cricketers are there?
As of 2025, at least 100 Indian cricketers are fighting for a place in the national team. Today the Indian national cricket team player list is one of envy with its massive depth.
How many teams can Indian cricket team field?
At least four professional cricket side can be fielded with the talent of Indian cricket team depth. These includes a separate squad for Test matches, ODI tournaments, and T20 series.
At least 62 South African born cricketers have played for other countries—Kevin Pietersen, Devon Conway, Glenn Phillips, Marnus Labuschange, Neil Wagner, Andrew Strauss, Tony Greig, Basil D’Oliviera, Jason Roy, David Wiese, Grant Elliot, and Kepler Wessels are some of the prominent South African cricketers who played cricket abroad.
21 have already retired and 41 are still playing. 20 South African born players played for England (5 current, 15 former), 10 for Ireland (4 current, 6 former), 10 for New Zealand (7 current, 2 former, 1 U-19), 9 for Netherlands (8 current, 1 former), 6 for Scotland (3 current, 3 former), 3 for Australia (2 current, 1 former), and 5 for other nations (Zimbabwe, Namibia, Ireland, and USA)
In this article, you will learn about all the South African born cricketers who emigrated to other nations to pursue their dream of playing cricket, most notably in Australia, England, New Zealand, and the Netherlands. We will learn about their birthplaces, why they moved, and what age they moved from South Africa.
*Note: Underlined & Bolded links are videos. Underlined without bold are links to other articles.
South African Born English Cricket Players
Here is a list of all England cricketers who were from a South Africa origin and played international cricket.
England Cricketer
Birthplacein South Africa
Keaton Jennings
Johannesburg
Jason Roy
Durban
Tom Curran
Cape Town
Brydon Carse
Cape Town
Andrew Strauss
Johannesburg
Craig Kieswetter
Johannesburg
Jonathan Trott
Cape Town
Kevin Pietersen
Pietermaritzburg
Matt Prior
Johannesburg
Basil D’Oliviera
Cape Town
Tony Greig
Queenstown
Jade Dernbach
Johannesburg
John Turner
Johannesburg
Allan Lamb
Langebaan
Stuart Meaker
Durban
Ian Greig
Queenstown
Michael Lumb
Johannesburg
Nick Compton
Durban
Chris Smith
Durban
Robin Smith
Durban
*Note, Dawid Malan was born in England and grew up in South Africa, so he is not included in the lists below.
South African Born New Zealand Cricket Players
New Zealand Cricketer
Birthplace in South Africa
Devon Conway
Johannesburg
Colin Munro
Durban
Glenn Phillips
East London
BJ Watling
Durban
Neil Wagner
Pretoria
Grant Elliot
Johannesburg
Chad Bowes
Benoni
Bernadine Bezuidenhout*
Kimberly
*Note: Bezuidenhout is a South African-born New Zealand cricketer in the women’s game. She has played for both the South African & New Zealand women’s national team.
South African Born Australian Cricket Players
Australian Cricketer
Birthplace in South Africa
Marnus Labuschagne
Klerksdorp
Michael Neser
Pretoria
Kepler Wessels*
Bloemfontein
*Wessels is one of the few cricketers who has played international cricket for two nations, South Africa and Australia.
Today’s Twist
South African born cricketers have had a good time recently. Marnus Labuschagne just scored a Test century at the Gabba, Neil Wagner picked up key wickets with a broken toe, and the Glenn Phillips-Devon Conway have been on fire for New Zealand.
That got me thinking – can we make a current World XI out of South African players that play internationally for other countries? And how many such players are there?
Build Two World XIs: (1) A current World XI and (2) World XI composed of former players who were born in South Africa but played internationally for another country.
*Note: This does not include Kolpak players or Johan Botha (who moved to Australia permanently and became an Australia citizen, but never represented them internationally).
The XI needs to have five bowlers & a wicketkeeper. While there are several players in the current circuit who can bat, can you find at least four others who can accompany Neil Wagner?
Current South African Emigrant World XI – South African Born Cricketers Who Play for Other Countries
1. Keaton Jennings (England)
Born: Johannesburg, Teams: Gauteng (SA), Durham (Eng), South Africa U-19, England Lions, England
Why Did They Move: English citizenship through mother, Age When Left SA: 20
Where Are They Now: 17 Tests as English opener so far (last in Feb 2019)
Born: Klerksdorp, North West Province, Teams: Queensland (Aus), Australia
Why Did They Move: Father got job in mining industry, Age When Left SA: 10
Where Are They Now: Scoring centuries, chirping at forward short leg, screaming ‘No Run’, and taking the world by storm. #4 in ICC Test Rankings currently. Oh and by the way, this is how you currently pronounce his name (funny video).
Where Are They Now: Wonderful story this. Three years after leaving South Africa, Conway debuts for New Zealand after dominating first class cricket. 14 T20Is later, 4-50s, best of 99*, 75.00 average in ODIs (1-100), and a magnificent Test double century on debut at Lord’s.
Born: East London, Eastern Cape, Teams: Auckland (NZ), New Zealand
Age When Left SA: 5
Where Are They Now: Partner in crime with Conway. Just scored a 108 against the West Indies in a T20I. Here to stay in their T20I squad. Coincidently, replacement for Colin Munro.
Born: Johannesburg, Teams: Gauteng (SA) U-13s,U-15s, U-17s, South Africa U-19s, Ireland A, Ireland
Why Did They Move: Qualified to play for Ireland through grandmother – Mentioned to Niall O’ Brien that he held an Irish passport and was fast-tracked.
Where Are They Now: Meteoric rise for Curtis. Eye catching 59* on debut, starred in the famous chase against England (2019) and now has a full-time contract.
Born: Durban, Teams: Northern District (NZ), New Zealand U-19s, New Zealand
Why Did They Move: Family moved to New Zealand, Age When Left SA: 10
Where Are They Now: One of the cogs of New Zealand’s test line up in their rise to No.1. Ever dependable, under-rated, and starred in several back-to-the-wall gritty knocks.
Born: Pretoria, Teams: Northerns (SA), Otago (NZ), New Zealand A, New Zealand
Why Did They Move: Was not getting enough opportunities due to the ‘quota system.‘ Age When Left SA: 22
Where Are They Now: Part of the greatest NZ pace generation with Boult-Southee-Jamieson. Now a cult-hero of sorts. Bowls his heart on placid pitches, short ball stock (but can also swing it), Steve Smith-outer specialist, and even bowled recently with a broken toe. What a guy.
Born: Port Elizabeth, Teams: Western Province (South Africa), Essex (England), Netherlands
Why Did They Move: Graham Gooch spotted him with a touring Essex team to South Africa; EU citizenship due to Netherlands descent
Where Are They Now: At an ODI average of 67.00 after 33 ODIs, his talent is unquestionable. He has travelled in T20 leagues around the world and is sought after as an allrounder. At 41 and having last played in 2019, his international career is coming towards an end. He has made the 2021 T20 World Cup squad nevertheless.
South African Born Cricketers Who Played for Ireland
13. Andre Botha (born – Johannesburg)
14. Max Sorenson (born – Johannesburg)
15. Reinhardt Strydom (born – Cape Town)
16. Marthinus Fourie (born – Cape Town)
17. Shane Getkate (born – Durban)
18. Albert van der Merwe (born – Bellville, Cape Town)
19. James Cameron-Dow (born – Cape Town)
20. Graham Hume (born – Johannesburg)
21. Murray Commins (born – Cape Town)
South African Born Cricketers Who Play for Associate Nations & Other Countries
Dutch (Netherlands) Cricketers Who Were Born in South Africa
22. Roelof Van der Merwe (born – Johannesburg) – played for both South Africa and Netherlands
23. Sybrand Engelbrecht (born – Johannesburg) – selected for Netherlands’ 2023 World Cup squaed
24. Stephan Myburgh (born – Pretoria) – plays for Netherlands
25. Colin Ackermann (born – George) – plays for Netherlands
26. Michael Rippon (born – Cape Town) – plays for Netherlands
27. Brandon Glover (born – Johannesburg) – plays for Netherlands
28. Wesley Barresi (born – Johannesburg)
29. Ryan Klein (born – Cape Town)
30. Sulaiman Dik Abed (born – Cape Town)
Namibian-Born SA Players
31. David Wiese (born – Roodepoort) – played for both South Africa and now Namibia
32. Ruben Trumpelmann (born – Durban) – plays for Namibia
Scotland-Born SA Players
33. Brad Wheal (born – Durban) – plays for Scotland
34. Chris Greaves (born – Sandton, Johannesburg) – plays for Scotland
35. Brandon McMullen (born – Durban) – plays for Scotland
36. Adrian Neil (born – Riversdale, Western Cape) – plays for Scotland
37. Preston Mommsen (born – Durban)
38.Omar Henry (born -Stellenbosch, Cape Town)
Rest of the World
39. Brydon Carse (born – Port Elizabeth) – plays for England
40. Rusty Theron (born – Potchefstroom) – plays for the United States of America (USA)
41. James Fuller (born – Cape Town) – Played for New Zealand U-19s and Otago and now is settled in England and plays County Cricket due to his British passport.
Come to think of it, this is actually a decent T20 XI that could potentially play in a league somewhere around the world. Roy-Munro-Phillips are dangerous T20 players, while Labuschagne-Conway can steady the ship. Tom Curran and Neser lead the bowling line up along with Neil Wagner and all-rounder Campher. If dibbly dobbly Munro and leggie Marnus can chip in with a few overs as the 5th/6th bowler, this is a well-balanced team.
Before we move on to the All-Time South African XI, feel free to check out other World XIs with Twists – Unlucky Cricketers XI, Underrated cricketers XI, Best Fielders XI, etc.
Here is a similar line up made up of retired international players. Several English players of the great 2011-2013 Test team as well as several who left South Africa during the apartheid suspension. The details are left as an exercise for the reader.
Andrew Strauss* (England)
Kepler Wessels (Australia 1982-92/South Africa 1992-94):First South African Test captain upon return from apartheid
Craig Kieswetter (England)
Jonathan Trott (England)
Kevin Pietersen (England):Dream first series against South Africa (2004) – 5 innings, 454 runs, 3 centuries, Player of the Series. Started the series with boos and ended with standing ovations.
Andy Flower (Zimbabwe)
Grant Elliot (New Zealand):Famously Knocked South Africa out of the 2015 Cricket World Cup. Superman.
Matt Prior (England) – WK
Basil D’Oliveira (England):England-South Africa Test series Trophy is named after him.
Squad: 12. Allan Lamb (England), 13. Stuart Meaker (England), 14. Ian Greig (England), 15. Michael Lumb (England), 16. Nick Compton (England), 17. Chris Smith (England), 18. Robin Smith (England), 19. Kruger van Wyk (New Zealand)
Jade Dernbach is the only out-and-out fast bowler, with Tony Greig, Basil D’Oliveira, & Grant Elliot as key all rounders. Part-timers Kevin Pietersen and Jonathan Trott will be needed to complete the overs. Maybe fast bowler Stuart Meaker can replace a batsman for a more balanced line-up.
England famously won the 2019 World Cup with key contributions from opener Jason Roy, captain Eoin Morgan (Ireland), lead fast bowler Jofra Archer (Barbados), and player of the final Ben Stokes (New Zealand). Similarly, the 2018 FIFA World Cup was won by France, a team whose 23 member squad consisted of 15 members of African descent with the likes of Kylian Mbappe and Paul Pogba.
In either case, diversity won. Globalism and international travel have come to a halt in times of COVID & lockdowns. In these times, the stories of someone like a Devon Conway lightens the mood. Left everything, took a risk, worked hard, and fulfilled his dream.
Embrace change. Sometimes you have to leave from your birthplace in order to prosper, whether that is for education, work, or family. Go try something new.
Embrace others. Learning from others & learning about new cultures can only be a good thing.
Embrace Diversity.
If you like these philosophy bits, go check these two featured articles below.
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Fun exercise, wasn’t it? If you want to have more fun, you can create more variants.
Australia in 2017 fielded Usman Khawaja (Pakistan), Matt Renshaw (England), Steve O’Keefe (Malaysia), and Hilton Cartwright (Zimbabwe). Speaking of Zimbabwe, did you know New Zealand’s Colin de Grandhomme is born in Zimbabwe?
Here are some fun ideas to create World XIs with Twists:
You can also make an unusual XI of cricketers born in non-Test playing countries.
For example, Moises Henriques (Aus) for born in Portugal, George Headley (WI) in Panama, Geraint Jones (Eng) from Papua New Guinea, (Pak) Shan Masood from Kuwait, (Pak) Imad Wasim from Wales, and many more!
With the completion of Brexit, the Kolpak deal is all but over. Kyle Abbott is back with the Titans. Can you make a South Africa Exodus XI? Here are some ideas
Kyle Abbott, Duanne Olivier, Wayne Parnell, Marchant de Lange, Rilee Rossouw, Simon Harmer, Colin Ingram, Dane Piedt (USA)
Imran Tahir is a Pakistan-born immigrant to play for South Africa. Can you make an All-Time South African immigrant XI? Or a Pakistan Emigrant XI?
How many South African born cricketers played for other countries?
In total there have been 62 South African born cricketers who played for other countries, 21 of whom have already retired and 41 are still playing. South Africa (19), New Zealand (10), Ireland (10), and Netherlands (9) represent the nations most originally South African born cricketers immigrated to.
Which South African born cricketers have represented New Zealand?
South African born cricketers who have represented New Zealand include Chad Bowes, Grant Elliot, Neil Wagner, Devon Conway, & Glenn Phillips.
Which South African born cricketers have represented England?
South African born cricketers who have represented England include Jason Roy, Tom Curran, Andrew Strauss, Jonathan Trott, Kevin Pietersen, Matt Prior, Basil D’Oliveira, Tony Greig, Michael Lumb, Craig Kieswetter, and several more!
Which South African born cricketers have represented Australia?
South African born cricketers who have represented Australia include Marnus Labuschagne, Kepler Wessels, & Michael Neser.
Who is Chad Bowes?
Chad Bowes is a South-born cricketer who plays for New Zealand on the international level. He played for South Africa U-19 and KwaZulu-Natal before moving to New Zealand to fulfill his dream of playing international cricket.
“How is the food in Dubai?” asks Kumar Sangakkara. Mahela responds, “Limited but enjoyable.”
“Oh yeah? Because it shows.” (Laughs all around). After a brief pause, Mahela responds, “Well, I thought he was a proper commentator, but obviously he is not…”
I just love this banter between these two legends and friends.
Kumar Sangakkara’s addition in IPL 2020 has been a breath of fresh air in the commentary box, although he replaced an unusually enthusiastic Kevin Pietersen earlier in the tournament.
This gave me an idea. Why not make a Fantasy Cricket team from the commentators in IPL 2020?
We have all played fantasy cricket or picked our All-Time World XI before. Today let us jump out of our comfort zones and do something slightly more creative – IPL 2020 Commentators XI.
Today’s Twist – Fantasy Cricket
Build two teams from IPL 2020 commentators such that (1) is a team made up of any commentators whatsoever, and (2 ) consists of only ex-cricket players.
Here are some additional rules:
By IPL rules, each team can field a maximum of 4 foreign players.
Pick from the list of commentators stated at the end of the article below.
The team should actually be able to field with 1 keeper and 5 bowling options necessary.
The Catch
What do you look for from a commentator? Serious analysis, insightful in-game interviews, or hilarious banter? I like a combination of all of them.
A little bit of analysis, a tinge of entertainment, and of course, a drop of controversy.
Well here are my teams. What about you? Comment below with your FAVORITE COMMENTATORS.
Just Imagine what role these commentators would play on the cricket field. Take creative license with this. Also Note: The 4 foreign players are in bold.
Aakash Chopra – Defensive opener, aggressive commentator. Love the phrases.#Aakashvani
Gaurav Kapur – Complimentary youthful enthusiasm for the opening partnership. Also BWC.
Alexis Nunes – A West Indian at No. 3 is a necessity. Best Mute Me/ PoliteEnquiries host?
Harsha Bhogle (C) – Need solidity in the middle order. Moments like these makes Harsha special.
Lisa Sthalekar – World Cup winning captain at #5. Brings experience and analysis to the table.
Gautam Bhimani – Need a transition or a finishing argument? No better than Bhimani, the finisher.
Deep Dasgupta (WK) – One of the better analysts at ESPNCricinfo and the keeper in our team.
Ajit Agarkar – Same as above for the analysis but also a Lord’s ton and some wickets too.
Joy Bhattacharjya – The ‘mystery spinner’ in our team. At times, calculative. If the spin does not bamboozle you, Joy Factor definitely will.
Cricbuzz Live Panel: Gaurav Kapur, Ajay Jadeja, Gautam Bhimani, Joy Bhattacharjya, Shaun Pollock, Michael Vaughan, Arjun Pandit, Manoj Tiwary, Virender Sehwag
Cricinfo Panel: Raunak Kapoor, Tom Moody, Alexis Nunes, Sanjay Manjrekar
*Star Sports Dugout: Graeme Swann, Brett Lee, Brian Lara, Scott Styris, Dean Jones
*I did not choose from this list because did not have enough sample size of listening to Star Sports commentary, but you are free to do so.
So from this list, who makes it in YOUR COMMENTATORS XI? COMMENT BELOW AND LET US KNOW! Do check out our other World XI with Twists Articles here, follow our social media pages, and share the article ahead!
