In the world of sports, few milestones are as incredible as excelling at the highest level in more than one discipline. While the majority of athletes work hard to excel and be the best in one sport, there exists a rare breed of cricketers who not only conquered the cricketing battlefield but also showcased their talent in other sports on the international stage. So, let's delve into the topic and understand which cricketers have played in more than two sports at the international level.
LIST OF CRICKETERS WHO PLAYED IN MORE THAN TWO SPORTS AT THE INTERNATIONAL LEVEL
Yuzvendra Chahal: India's ace leg-spinner Yuzvendra Chahal has represented India in Chess competitions at the international level during his younger days. Chahal won the National Under-12 Championship in Kolkata, in 2002 and has participated in Asian and World U12 Junior Championships. He is listed on the World Chess Federation's official site; as per FIDE ratings, as of June 2024, Chahal's rating national rank in India was 1,833, while he was ranked 18,321 in Asia and 82,387 in the world. He even has an exceptional record as a cricketer, having accounted for 217 wickets in 152 international games including 72 ODIs and 80 T20Is.
Happy world chess day ♟ pic.twitter.com/ihcOw5mgP3
— Yuzvendra Chahal (@yuzi_chahal) July 20, 2020
Cotar Ramaswami: Former India cricketer Cotar Ramaswami, who played two Tests for India in 1936, represented India in both Test cricket and Davis Cup tennis. Ramaswami made his cricket debut at the age of 40 and had a decent record, having scored 170 runs at an average of 56.7. He also represented India in the Davis Cup when he was a 20-year-old.
Sir Vivian Richards: The legendary West Indian Batter, Sir Isaac Vivian Richards is hailed to be the most stylish batter in the last quarter of the 20th century. Sir Viv appeared in the 1975 and 1979 victorious World Cups for West Indies. Interestingly, Vivian Richards has also played football for Antigua and Barbuda in the qualifying matches for the FIFA World Cup in 1974.
Hey there @LFC, wondering if you guys have a spot for another deadly striker alongside @MoSalah and Mane 👀 pic.twitter.com/ozPD0Bv8rK
— Sir Vivian Richards (@ivivianrichards) February 16, 2022
Jonty Rhodes: Recognised as one of the best fielders in the world in his era, Jonty Rhodes has had a remarkable career as a cricketer and a fielding coach but very few people know that the South African was once an international hockey player. He was chosen as part of the 1992 Olympic Games squad to go to Barcelona; however, the squad did not qualify to go to the tournament. Jonty's runout where he flung in the air to get rid of Inzamam-Ul-Haq in the 1992 World Cup game against Pakistan is still considered as an iconic runout in the history of cricket.
Andrew Flintoff: The Charismatic England all-rounder who played a huge part in winning the 2005 Ashes trophy, entered Boxing after retiring from International cricket. On 30th November 2012, he had a bout against America’s Richard Dawson. Although Freddie won the match in the fourth round, he decided to hang up his boots to end his boxing career.
Suzie Bates: New Zealand women's cricketer Suzie Bates, Known for her explosive batting, has played over 100 games in both ODIs and T20Is. Bates played for Kiwis in basketball in the 2008 Beijing Olympics.
Ellyse Perry: Australia's Ellyse Perry made her international cricket debut before turning 17. Perry started as a bowling all-rounder and was the highest wicket-taker in the 2010 Women’s T20 World Cup. Her three-wicket haul in the final against New Zealand guided the side to the title. But, as a teenager, Perry played football for Matilda and less than a month after making a debut in international cricket, she made her maiden appearance for the Australian football team as well. Ellyse Perry was a member of Australia's 2011 FIFA World Cup squad and scored Australia's only goal in the 1-3 defeat in the quarterfinal against Sweden.
Clare Taylor: Before Perry, there was an Englishwoman named Clare Taylor who featured in both the cricket and football World Cups. After winning the World Cup in cricket in 1993, she played in all four of England’s matches at the 1995 FIFA Women’s World Cup.
