The sport of cricket has produced a number of superstars over the years, who have gone on to become legends. Be it with the bat, or the ball, or even while fielding, numerous cricketers have given it all and made a name for themselves.
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However, not every cricketer has been playing the sport since the start. Several cricketers have started their career in some other sport, before deciding to pursue cricket full-time.
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Some were so good at the other sport that they went on to represent at the state and national level. On the same note, we take a look at six prominent cricketers, who did the same.
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Jonty Rhodes: We start the list with the name that is no stranger in cricket and undoubtedly remains the most outstanding fielder ever in the sport. However, it is not how Rhodes started with, as it used to be field hockey instead. He was so good at it that he was to represent South Africa in the 1992 Olympics, but the side failed to qualify. He again had a chance to do so in 1996, only to pull out owing to a hamstring injury. Poor luck!
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Ian Botham: The former English cricket all-rounder is a legend, having scored around 7,000 international runs and 500 wickets. However, hardly does anyone know that he also used to play football during his cricketing tenure, as he had played in 11 club matches. He had represented Yeovil United and Scunthorpe United between 1978 to 1985, where he used to play as a central-back defender.
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Viv Richards: The legendary batsman, who played for Windies and helped the side win a couple of World Cups, was also a member of Antigua and Barbuda's football team. He also featured for the side during the 1974 FIFA World Cup qualifiers. However, after his side failed to qualify, he shifted his focus entirely to cricket, which eventually brought him success and fame.
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Ellyse Perry: She happens to be a woman cricketer, who represents Australia across formats. She decided to pursue both cricket and football at the age of 16, while it was in 2008 when she played in the Asian Cup for Australia as a defender. She has scored three international goals to date. In the domestic circuit, she played for Central Coast Mariners during the 2008-09 season, before moving to Canberra United the next season, with whom she won the 2011-12 W-League. To date, she has represented Australia in over 200 international cricket matches as an all-rounder.
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Ashleigh Barty: She is another Australian women's cricketer, who has a unique story. Barty started as a professional tennis player. However, it was in 2014, after the US Open, when she decided to take a break from the sport. After a brief session with the Australian women's cricket team, she started to train in the sport and impressed everyone with her skills. Consequently, the next season, she was roped in by Brisbane Heat, as she played a few matches in the Women's Big Bash League (WBBL). However, she was soon back to tennis in 2016, as she won the 2019 French Open.
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Yuzvendra Chahal: The prominent current Indian leg-spinner is one of the most reliable spinners for Team India. However, little does anyone know that Chahal was a professional chess player, prior to his debut for Team India in 2016. He had represented India in chess between 1997 to 2003, while in 2002, he had also won the National Under-11 Championship. In 2003, he went on to play for India again, during the World (Under-12) Championship in Greece, as he continues to possess an Elo rating of 1956 by the International Chess Federation.
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