England currently boasts an ethnically varied population as a result of its lengthy colonial past. South Asians, particularly Indians, stand out among the non-white population who have made this country their home. Obviously, they brought their cultural preferences, especially their love of cricket, with them when they moved.
In cricket’s history, a great number of players have represented different national teams based on their birthplace. Aside from that, several players have represented two separate international teams. England, in particular, has given a significant number of players (of all nationalities) the opportunity to play for their national cricket team.
The huge cricket community in England has benefited from the inflow of Indian-born cricketers. When scouring the county circuit, one may notice a significant number of players with South Asian ancestry. Many of them have made a name for themselves in their own countries, and a select handful has even made a name for themselves on the worldwide scene.
Let’s look at the Indian born cricketers who played for England:
Nasser Hussain
Nasser Hussain will go down in English cricket history as one of the most influential individuals. Not just because he was the first person of Indian ancestry to captain the team, but also because of his tactical and strategic genius. Hussain was born in Chennai, but his family moved to England when he was a youngster. His excellent partnership with the coach and former Zimbabwe player Duncan Fletcher helped England reach respectable heights in cricket. He fostered Michael Vaughan, England’s next captain, from a young age. Nasser Hussain’s most notable personal success was a double century against Australia in the 1997 Ashes series, which helped his side win.
Vikram Solanki
Vikram Solanki is a former first-class cricketer and English cricket coach. He played over 50 One Day Internationals for England as a batsman and occasional off-spinner in limited-overs international cricket. Solanki was born in the Indian city of Udaipur but moved to Wolverhampton with his family when he was eight years old. Solanki attended Regis School in Wolverhampton and played junior and senior cricket for Wolverhampton Cricket Club. Though he had amassed a large number of runs in domestic cricket, he was unable to repeat his success in international cricket.
Colin Cowdrey
Colin Cowdrey was an English first-class cricketer who represented Oxford University from 1952 to 1954, Kent County Cricket Club from 1950 to 1976, and England from 1954 to 1975. He was the first cricketer to play 100 Test matches, scoring 104 against Australia in 1968 to mark the milestone. He played 114 Tests in all, scoring 7,624 runs at a 44.06 average, surpassing Wally Hammond as the most prolific Test batsman, and collecting 120 catches as a fielder, shattering another Hammond record. Cowdrey was born at Ootacamund, Madras Presidency, on his father’s tea farm, however, his birthplace was commonly misrecorded as Bangalore, 100 miles to the north. He moved to England with his family when he was five.
Bob Woolmer
Bob Woolmer was a cricket coach, player, and pundit. He represented England in 19 Test matches and six One Day Internationals before going on to manage South Africa, Warwickshire, and Pakistan. Woolmer was born on May 14, 1948, in Kanpur, India, at the Georgina McRobert Memorial Hospital, which is located across the street from the Green Park Stadium. Clarence Woolmer, his father, was a cricketer who played for United Provinces (now Uttar Pradesh) in the Ranji Trophy. His teaching abilities and intelligence were more well-known than his cricketing abilities. Woolmer represented England in 19 Tests and 6 One-Day Internationals.
Robin Jackman
Robin Jackman was an English cricketer who represented England in four Test matches and 15 One Day Internationals between 1974 and 1983. He was a competent tail-end hitter as well as a seam bowler. He got 1,402 wickets in first-class cricket between 1966 and 1982. Jackman was born in Simla, Punjab, on August 13, 1945, and grew up in India. Jackman had a highly successful home career while having a relatively limited international career. He died on December 25, 2020, at his home in Cape Town, following lung and cardiac problems after testing positive for COVID-19.
