List of 62 South African Born Cricketers Who Represented Other Nations: How Many South African Cricketers played for Australia, England, and New Zealand?

by Nitesh Mathur | Jan 16, 2021 | South African Cricket, World XIs - With Twists

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. 19 South African born players played for England (4 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.

Can you guess them all?

Table of Contents

1. South African-Born Cricketers Who Played for England
2. South African Born Cricketers Who Played for New Zealand
3. Australian Cricketers Born in South Africa
4. Irish Cricketers from South Africa
5. Dutch Cricketers from South Africa
6. Scottish Cricketers from South Africa
7. South African-Born Cricketers Who Played for Namibia
8. Current South African Emigrant World XI
9. All Time South African Emigrant World XI
10. A Bit of Philosophy, Of Course
11. Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

*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.

*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

*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

*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).

Also Check Out: Top 51 Greatest South African Cricketers of All-Time (Updated 2024)

The Catch

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)

2. Jason Roy (England)

• Born: Durban, Teams: Surrey (Eng), England Lions, England
• Why Did They Move: Moved with family to England, Age When Left SA: 10
• Where Are They Now: World Cup Winner as an England opener. 5 Tests, 96 ODIs.

3. Colin Munro (New Zealand)

• Born: Durban, Teams: Auckland (NZ), New Zealand A, New Zealand U-19s
• Why Did They Move: Moved to NZ at an early age
• Where Are They Now: Has played over 100 matches for the Kiwis. Currently out of favor and employs his trade in T20 leagues around the world.

4. Marnus Labuschagne (Australia)

• 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).

5. Devon Conway (New Zealand)

• Born: Johannesburg, Teams: Gauteng (SA), Lions (SA), Wellington (NZ), New Zealand
• Why Did They Move: Was not making an impact in first class cricket in South Africa. Wanted to start afresh so he sold his property & car in South Africa with encouragement from friends who took similar path, Michael Nofal & Michael Rippon, Age When Left SA: 26
• 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.

6. Glenn Phillips (New Zealand)

• 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.

7. Curtis Campher (Ireland)

• 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.

8. BJ Watling* (New Zealand) – WK

*has since retired after the victorious World Test Championship campaign.

• 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.

9. Tom Curran (England)

• Born: Cape Town, Teams: KwaZulu-Natal Under-19s (SA), Surrey (Eng), England Lions, England
• Why Did They Move: Family/Schooling. Born in SA, moved to Zimbabwe (father’s origin), played in SA for some time, before moving to England
• Where Are They Now: In-and-out of the competitive England limited overs squad. Quite effective at the death in T20Is. His brother Sam Curran, born in England, is also pretty good.

10. Michael Neser (Australia)

• Born: Pretoria, Teams: Adelaide (Aus), Australia
• Why Did They Move: Family moved to Australia, Age When Left SA: 10
• Where Are They Now: In the reserves for the Australia seam attack. Currently in the Border-Gavaskar Trophy squad against India.

11. Neil Wagner* (New Zealand)

*retired in 2024. Read here for a Neil Wagner tribute.

• 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.

12. Ryan Ten Doeschate (Netherlands)

*has since retired after the disastrous T20 World Cup.

• 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.

*Captain

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.
• 42. Chad Bowes (born – Benoni, Gauteng) – plays for New Zealand

South African born Women Cricketers Who Played for other Nations

• 43. Bernadine Bezuidenhout (born – Kimberly, Northern Cape) – plays for New Zealand

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.

All Time South African Emigrant World XI

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.

1. Andrew Strauss* (England)
2. Kepler Wessels (Australia 1982-92/South Africa 1992-94): First South African Test captain upon return from apartheid
3. Craig Kieswetter (England)
4. Jonathan Trott (England)
5. 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.
6. Andy Flower (Zimbabwe)
7. Grant Elliot (New Zealand): Famously Knocked South Africa out of the 2015 Cricket World Cup. Superman.
8. Matt Prior (England) – WK
9. Basil D’Oliveira (England): England-South Africa Test series Trophy is named after him.
10. Tony Greig (England)
11. Jade Dernbach (England)

*Captain

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.

“Go try something new. Embrace change. Embrace others. Embrace diversity.”

If you like this, check out all the other articles in World XIs – With Twists section.

A Bit of Philosophy, Of Course

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.

Also Read: Top 10 Life Lessons from IPL 2020, Cricket’s Reflections of Passion

If you like this content, feel free to subscribe above for FREE and follow us on our social media accounts. We discuss regularly about cricket on our Twitter platform, but also have Facebook, Instagram, and Pinterest Accounts.

If you like this material, check our other featured articles here!

Also Read: Best Fielders XI feat Jonty Rhodes, Faf and ABD: The Friendship, Agony, and World Cup Hopes

Variations: Make YOUR OWN World XI

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:

1. 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!
2. 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)
3. 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?
   • Usman Khawaja, Imran Tahir, Owais Shah

Copyright – @Nitesh Mathur, aka Nit-X – bcd@brokokencricketdreams.com

Also Read: For other South African cricket articles, check out the following:

• 12 Kolpak South African Players Eligible for National Comeback – Can You Guess How Many Players SA Cricket Missed Out In 20 Years?
• Top 51 Greatest South African Cricketers of All-Time (Updated 2024) | List of the Best South African Cricket Players (A Complete Guide)
• Quota System in South African Cricket and Transformation Policy – The Complete Guide: Official Policy, Myths, Stats, and the 2015 World Cup Controversy
• Top 25 South African Fast Bowlers List (The Complete Guide) | Greatest South African Fast Bowlers of All Time (Updated 2024)
• Top 11 Cricketers Who Retired Too Early – The Lost Generation of Alastair Cook, Kevin Pietersen, AB De Villiers, Hashim Amla, and Michael Clarke
• 85 Cricketers Who Left Their Countries and Moved to Play Cricket in the USA: List of American Cricketers Who Were Born in Other Nations
• Netflix ‘Bad Sport’ Fallen Idol Review: Must Watch for All Cricket Fans – How Will History Judge Hansie Cronje?

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)